Love Hina: A Private Engagement
by HotelKatz
Summary: What if... it wasn't a lie? It wasn't an attempt to stay longer at the Hinata?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

Naru had left a coffee shop, taking a break from getting the supplies for her study group in Kyoto. She was going there the next day. She had visited Keitaro a few days ago in the hospital. On one hand, she was glad that nothing happened. On the other hand, she was annoyed that nothing happened.

 _'I'm kinda glad that he stayed in bed and didn't try stand up. Chances are that he'd accidentally grope me. I don't want to be banned from a hospital because of a reflex that I've picked up around him..'_ Naru thought as she sipped a mocha latte she had just bought. _'Maybe I need to leave for a little bit, if that's the first thing that comes to mind...'_

She began to walk back to the Hinata, but she soon stopped by a clothing store. She walked up to the store window to look at a mannequin. It was wearing a strapless blue dress that gradually got darker as it went down to the gown. The evening gloves were as dark blue as the bottom of the gown.

"Ahhh, what a dress... perhaps I should save up for it..." Naru muttered to herself. She looked at the price tag. She grimaced a little and said, "Or maybe I should ask Su if she can make a dress making machine..."

She then heard someone loudly say, "Zanmashō Ni-no-Tachi!"

As she turned around, she felt a whoosh of air pass her by and the sounds of a cellphone hitting the ground. Behind her was a man who was shocked that his pants were now in tatters and was trying to keep them on himself. On the ground besides him was a Flip-cellphone, broken in half. Naru noticed that the Cellphone had a camera.

"Pervert!" Naru shouted as she began to back away from the man.

"Sir, phones are useful, but should never be used to violate a lady's privacy," A woman's voice said. As the man ran away, Naru looked around and saw a woman dressed in a hakama similar to Motoko's. She even was putting her bokken back at her side in the same way.

 _'Huh.. Wonder if she knows Motoko?'_ Naru thought as she neared the woman. The woman seemed to notice the attention that Naru was giving her, as the woman faced her.

"Excuse me, miss, but do you know where the Hinata Sou is located?" The woman asked. Naru paused and pointed at herself. The woman nodded with a smile.

"A-A-A few blocks that way. Why do you ask?" Naru answered, pointing in the direction of the Inn.

"Thank you for telling me where it is. As for my reason to go there, I plan to visit family," The woman said in a pleasant tone, before she turned to start heading to the Hinata.

The woman paused when Naru asked, "Is it Motoko?"

The woman slowly turned and asked in a wary tone, "How do you know her?"

"I'm both friends with her and a fellow tenant," Naru answered, getting nervous from the woman's stare that seemed to pierce her. She started to calm down when the woman smiled at her.

"Well, I'm Motoko's older sister, Tsuruko," The woman replied.

"I'm Naru Narusegawa," Naru said back.

"Well, Ms. Narusegawa, if it is not too much trouble, will you accompany me?" Tsuruko asked.

"Sure. I was heading there anyways," Naru answered with a smile.

"So how has my Imouto-chan been?" Tsuruko asked as she walked with Naru. Tsuruko looked down a little and her smile gained a sad edge as she muttered, "After she moved to the Hinata, she stopped contacting me."

Naru was about to comment when she thought, _'I haven't talked to my family much after moving to the Hinata as well...'_

"She's been doing alright, but how was she when she still lived with you?," Naru asked before drinking a bit more of her mocha latte.

"Oh, she looked up to me to the point where I think she was afraid of me," Tsuruko replied. "One day, she decided to avoid me as much as possible. I don't know what caused the change in her... I suppose it might have had something to do with my husband... Motoko never seemed to like him."

Naru looked at the ground as she thought, _'Huh... that explains a little bit about Motoko...'_

Tsuruko then looked at Naru and asked, "But enough about that. Tell me a bit about yourself."

Naru looked at Tsuruko with pride slowly growing on her face.

"My friends and I finally gotten into Todai! I've barely been in a day and so many clubs have been going after me and I was approached by this year's 'Miss Todai' scout," Naru said, smiling at her good fortune.

"And what about your friends who also gotten into Todai?" Tsuruko asked.

"Well, Mutsumi's probably the happiest she's ever been, though if it weren't for her forgetfulness, she'd probably been in Todai a few years ago. It was her childhood dream to go to Todai," Naru answered before taking another sip of her mocha.

"And what about your other friends?" Tsuruko asked. Naru paused for a second.

"Well, there's really only one other friend that's going to Todai for now. While he also gotten into Todai, he broke his leg on the first day... He's really unlucky..." Naru said. "Then again, Keitaro always been unlucky. It kinda seems like the only bit of luck he's had was when Granny Hina made him the manager of the Hinata..."

"Any reason why she did?" Tsuruko asked.

"Probably because he's her grandson," Naru answered with a slight shrug.

Tsuruko had a look of surprise on her face for a moment. After a few moments, she rubbed her chin and muttered, "Well, that's interesting..."

"What is?" Naru asked, eventually curious at what Tsuruko was muttering about.

"Oh, merely that Granny Hina promised that she would help curb Motoko's temper. I had no idea that she was going to use her grandson to do so," Tsuruko answered with slight chuckle.

"Huh... That does seem interesting..." Naru muttered before she took another sip of her Mocha.

The rest of the journey back was silent.

-oOo-

"So that is the Hinata..." Tsuruko commented as she and Naru reached the top of the stairs. She looked at Naru and asked, "So what room does my Imouto-chan reside in?"

"Uh, room 302..." Naru answered.

"Thank you, Narusegawa," Tsuruko answered before she began to walk quicker. Naru was doing her best to follow after. Once inside, Tsuruko passed by Kitsune.

When Naru passed by her, Kitsune asked, "Who's the older Motoko, Naru?"

"I am Tsuruko Aoyama. I am Motoko's sister," Tsuruko answered before Naru had a chance to.

"So you're Motoko's sister? Kinda funny she never mentioned you..." Kitsune muttered as she and Naru followed Tsuruko, who was wandering towards Motoko's room.

"She has some issues with me." Tsuruko said as she tried to open Motoko's door. She discovered it was locked or barred. "Is there any locks on the door?"

"Not that I know of..." Kitsune replied. "Maybe a latch..."

Before anyone could say anything, a feminine moan came from Motoko's room.

 _'Motoko!'_ Naru thought as imagines of Motoko tripping and hurting herself on the sword she liked to carry around.

 _'Almost sounds like a woman, but not quite...'_ Tsuruko thought as she rubbed her chin.

 _'Oho! I think we may have stumbled onto something private!'_ Kitsune thought with a smirk.

Naru then forced the door open, ripping the little latch that was keeping the door closed off the frame.

Inside, Motoko was wearing a Nurse cosplay costume while sitting on Keitaro's lap as she was making out with him. Due to the almost- passed-out expression on Keitaro, Tsuruko knew that it had been Keitaro who had moaned. When Motoko heard the slam of the door being forced opened, she stopped and looked behind her. After a few seconds passed without him feeling Motoko's lips, Keitaro slowly opened his eyes to see why and began to whimper once he saw a shocked Kitsune and Naru, as well as someone that looked like an older Motoko.

"Ane-ue! What are- What are you doing here!" Motoko exclaimed, once she had gotten over her shock at seeing Tsuruko.

Tsuruko smiled as she covered her mouth. "Seeing something that I shouldn't have, but has made me proud of you at the same time. Fufufu."

Tsuruko then closed the door and turned around, but remained standing in front of it. She observed that Naru's shocked look was slowly turning into that of sorrow.

"So Motoko's made a move on him... Huh... Didn't see that coming... Sure I joked about it, but that's all it was..." Kitsune muttered, shaking her head a little bit in disbelief. She then began to smile. "This makes things very interesting..."

"Wha... .But... how..." Naru muttered. She then ran into her room, saying, "I need to get ready for my study group tomorrow!"

"Is everything alright with ms. Narusegawa?" Tsuruko asked.

"I thought she was alright, but I guess her playing with Keitaro's emotions sorta backfired..." Kitsune answered. "Wanna knock and ask Keitaro to come out and explain himself?

"I suspect that there is no need, as both will be leaving the room shortly," Tsuruko answered.

-oOo-

"Motoko? Is everything alright? You're worrying me since that woman showed up..." Keitaro asked, as Motoko was still facing the door. Her silence and the fact she seemed to remain still as a statue was worrying him. He tilted his head a little as he muttered, "You called her sister. Are you two related?"

Motoko didn't hear him as her thoughts were growing more panicked. Her eyes focused on the door as she thought, _'Sister has come to take me back home and away from my Keitaro... I must figure out a way for us to stay together...'_

Her eyes looked over at Shisui. _'Perhaps we can make out for the final time before... No... She would enter the moment we start...'_

Her eyes looked over at her closet. _'Perhaps we can gather some things, go to the united states and elope in Vegas? We would need to never stop traveling as Tsuruko would never stop chasing after us...'_

Looking over at a photo that was taken back during one of the vacations that the Hinata tenants took, she thought, _'Perhaps I could take Su on her offer to take us to Molmol? I'd have to share... No, never going to happen... Perhaps I could ask Kitsu... No, my dignity is still a little bit tarnished from the last time I asked her for help. Naru is out of the question...'_

She was shaken out of her thoughts as Keitaro was shaking her. With a little bit of worry in his voice, he asked, "Motoko? Motoko? Please say something!"

"I'm... I'm alright, Keitaro..." Motoko said, brushing his hands away. She then began to stand up as she said, "I... I need to get dressed. I'm sorry our personal time was cut short once again..."

"It's alright, Motoko. You didn't foresee her coming," Keitaro said as he started to stand up.

"Stay here, but don't peek. I don't want you speaking to Tsuruko without me," Motoko said as she headed over to her dresser.

"Alright..." Keitaro said as he spun around to face away from Motoko as she was getting dressed. He even closed his eyes.

After a few moments, she said, "I'm dressed."

He looked back and saw that she was in her Hakama. She had her hand out to help him stand up, so he accepted it.

"Ready?" Keitaro asked, once he was standing up. Due to the fact she slightly pulled her hand away, he let go.

Motoko took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She frowned in a resigned way as she said, "No, but I suspect I might never be. Let's go."

Keitaro tried to smile to cheer her up as he said, "I almost thought you'd suggest that we should run away to another country..."

Motoko let out a brief chuckle before she said, "Sort of. Las Vegas would be the first stop..."

Keitaro gained a concern look as he asked, "Just how scary is your sister?"

"Tsuruko is far more skilled than I. I left the Shinmei-ryu and didn't contact her because I foolishly thought that she weakened herself to be with a man and I sorta walked in on something I was too young to contemplate..." Motoko answered, looking away from Keitaro. His hand brushed against hers, so she held his hand.

"Well, let's face her together..." Keitaro pleaded.

A few moments of silence passed before Motoko said, "...Thanks, this means a lot..."

The two headed to the door and opened it. Tsuruko and Kitsune were waiting for them. Tsuruko had an amused look, but her eyes seemed to be seeking out any potential lies. Kitsune wore a concerned look on her brow.

Tsuruko seemed to hear the door open as she looked back and asked, "Ah, sister, Shall we head to someplace where we can sit down and chat? I'd love to hear you tell me about your boyfriend and how he won your heart!"

"I thought you were going after Naru? So what? Were you playing with her emotion or were you trying to make us all into your pretty little harem?" Kitsune asked, with a slight anger in her voice. The anger was soon replaced with an amused grin as she then asked, "'Cause if it's the latter, I gotta know if Haruka is included."

"It's not like that!" Keitaro and Motoko said at the same time.

"Ah, I see you've reached that stage already, but please calm down. There is no need to explode like that," Tsuruko said. "let's head to the living room and talk there."

"I'd like to, but I gotta see if Naru needs any help..." Kitsune replied, losing the amused tone she had.

"Well, I hope the two of you can join us if you can," Tsuruko said, before leading Motoko and Kitsune away.

As they headed down the stairs, Motoko asked,"Is everything alright with Naru?"

"I think she did not take seeing the two of you in your room well, Sister," Tsuruko answered.

-oOoOoOo-

Author's note -

This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of thefanfictionforums. They are also the planner of this fic.

A thanks to chronodekar for pointing out that when a door kept closed by a latch is forced opened, the last thing to get people's attention is the whine of the door. Also for how to better write the part where Tsuruko, Naru, and Kitsune walk in on Motoko and Keitaro. A thanks to Antimatter for helping tone down Naru at certain parts. A thanks to an Anonymous person and EagleCeres of TheFanfictionForums of for pointing out certain parts.

As for my 'Another Blade in a second' fic, it is not cancelled, only on hiatus. I'm still working on it. Admittedly, most of the current work for that fic is coming up with ideas for potential plots. When I get back to really working on it, I'll probably first re-write the chapters before getting to work on new chapters. Nothing major, just changing a few areas that I'm not so proud of.

Edit on June 13, 2015: Thanks to the advice of Wittmann the Tiger Ace's review, I changed how Tsuruko and Motoko greet each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

As Tsuruko, Keitaro, and Motoko entered the living room, the elder Aoyama noted the overall feeling that the Inn was giving off. Tsuruko sat down on one couch, while Keitaro and Motoko sat down on another. A coffee table separated the two couches.

"This place feels very peaceful, Motoko is so lucky to spend her student life here," Tsuruko commented with a smile. Keitaro blushed a little as he looked at Tsuruko. Motoko noticed this and slightly growled a little as she hugged his arm. That shook him a little out of his blush.

"Ane-ue, What are you doing here?" Motoko asked as she turned her attention back to Tsuruko.

"Aren't we missing an important step of decorum?" Tsuruko asked as she tilted her head a little.

Keitaro's eyes widened. He stood up, getting out of Motoko's grasp and said, "Ah! I apologize! I'll go get us some tea!"

After he left, Tsuruko asked, "Is he always like that or is it because I and your fellow tenants interrupted you?"

"A little of both really, but he does have a good heart," Motoko answered as she frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"That is good to hear. I wonder who is luckier for finding each other, you or him?" Tsuruko asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Motoko looked down and crossed her arms as she pondered Tsuruko's question. "Considering he broke his leg a little while ago, I suppose he is."

Tsuruko covered her mouth and chuckled a little. "Fu fu fu… Are you sure? When I was coming here, I was expecting you to be very nervous in my presence and yet you aren't."

Motoko looked up at Tsuruko and asked, "Did you expect me to be like that forever?"

Tsuruko shook her head and smiled, "No. It pleases me that you've grown up."

Motoko opened her mouth to respond, but Keitaro and Shinobu appeared. The latter was carrying a tray that had several cups of tea and some food, because the former still had crutches.

"Sorry about being a bit late, but here's the tea," Keitaro said.

"Are you Motoko's sister?" Shinobu asked as she placed the tray on the table.

"Yes. My name is Tsuruko Aoyama," Tsuruko answered as Shinobu stepped away.

"Now that we have tea, please tell me why you're here, Ane-ue," Motoko stated as Keitaro sat down beside her.

Tsuruko picked up a cup of tea and drank some of it.

"That can be discussed later. I'm actually more interested in your relationship with him," Tsuruko replied as she gestured at Keitaro.

"Ah! I'm Keitaro Urashima," Keitaro answered. He was surprised by Tsuruko making an interested 'Hn' noise. He asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, merely remembering that Ms. Narusegawa told me a little bit about you, mostly about how unlucky you are and how herself, you and someone by the name of Mutsumi Otohime have gotten into Todai," Tsuruko answered. Keitaro let out a slightly received sigh.

He rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Yeah, we studied together to get into Todai and we achieved our goal."

As Keitaro and Shinobu sat down, Tsuruko drank a little bit more tea. she waited until Motoko and Keitaro started drinking to ask a question. "So, do I need to start the marriage ceremony or am I overreacting?"

Both Keitaro and Motoko almost spat out their tea. Shinobu's eyes widened as she kept looking at Tsuruko, Keitaro, and Motoko.

"Ane-ue! We-you-argh!" Motoko loudly said.

"How far have the two of you gotten in your relationship?" Tsuruko asked as she tilted her head a little.

"That's… That's something you could be a bit more subtle in asking about…" Keitaro grumbled until he saw Shinobu's surprised and about-to-cry expression. "Oh crap…"

' _But-but-but Sempai and Naru-sempai are the ones in a relationship! Aren't they?'_ Shinobu thought. As she took a step back, she had gotten the attention of the Aoyama sisters.

Motoko was able to tell what the younger girl was thinking about. "Shinobu, whatever you are thinking about Keitaro, it most certainly is wrong."

"But-but-but you and Sempai and Naru-sempai-" Shinobu uttered before Motoko sighed.

"He might have gone after her for a few months when he first came here, but everyone has their limits," Motoko replied.

"So I take it you stalked him like a love-sick puppy?" Tsuruko asked. She was a bit surprised when Motoko hissed in a manner that exclaimed, 'I wish I did'. "My oh my! This sounds interesting! Just how did the two of you meet?"

"I came here after I was kicked out of my parent's, thinking Granny Hina would let me live here. but she never told me or my parents that she changed the place to a girls' only dorm," Keitaro explained. "After getting on everyone's bad side, Granny Hina sent a fax that made me the landlord."

Tsuruko raised an eyebrow as as she asked, "So when did my Imouto-chan change her mind?"

"I guess it started after my first duel with him. I thought I was in love with him. So I decided to fight him. The terms were that if he won, I would forget about the whole thing. If I won, he would have to leave. He won by his bokken hitting me on the head," Motoko explained. She looked down with a wistful smile. "I just wish he had been holding it when it happened."

Before Tsuruko could ask, Motoko answered, "He had thrown his bokken up in the air to avoid an attack of mine. A moment or two later it fell and I was knocked out by it."

Tsuruko covered her mouth to chuckle, "Heh heh heh! That really does sound embarrassing!"

"It was discovered that I had a cold," Motoko continued as Shinobu sat down away from the two couches. "I guess it was worse than I thought, as it lasted for a few days…"

-oOo-

 _The day after the duel…_

Motoko was still lying in her bed in her room.

"Someone… Anyone… Could anyone get me a glass of water?" Motoko uttered in a low volume.

Her door slid open, getting her attention. However, her hopes were dashed as Keitaro walked in, carrying a tray that had Okayu and a few cups of Shogayu. (1)

"Where is everyone?" Motoko asked as Keitaro placed the tray besides her.

"They're out. Shinobu and Su are at their school, Naru had a study group, and Kitsune…. Kitsune is somewhere," Keitaro answered.

"And… Haruka…?" Motoko asked as she was doing her best to suppress a sneeze.

"Tea shop," Keitaro answered. "So should I leave? Or do you want me to... stay and talk for a while?"

He looked away as she slowly sat up. When she sneezed, he jumped a little bit.

"I'd… I'd like a tissue…" Motoko uttered before she noticed the box of tissues on the tray.

"They're on the-" Keitaro said.

"Found them," Motoko said before she used one. "And if I need you, I'll call out for you."

"Oh… Okay…" Keitaro uttered before he left her room.

About half an hour later, he passed by her door and hear her weakly call out, "Urashima…. Are you out there?"

"I am, Motoko-san," Keitaro replied.

"Is the offer to talk still available?" Motoko asked.

"It is," Keitaro answered as he prepared himself to open the door.

"Then come in," Motoko called out. Keitaro slid the door open and walked in. He noticed that she had eaten the rice porridge and had finished the tea.

"Want me to get you something to drink before we talk?" Keitaro asked, pointing at the tray. Motoko nodded, making Keitaro smile as he picked the tray up. "Water or tea?"

"Doesn't matter…" Motoko answered before Keitaro left the room.

He soon came back with several cup of water and said, "Figured you wanted to talk more than you wanted tea."

"So what should we talk about?" Motoko asked.

Keitaro shrugged as he said, "Anything you feel like talking about…"

After a few seconds of pondering, Motoko asked, "Why did Granny Hina put you in charge?"

Keitaro rubbed his chin as he thought about it. "I guess I'm her only relative that was free to. Didn't she tell you about me or my parents?"

"I never met her. She left on her trip before I even came here and I never bothered to talk to her on the phone when she called," Motoko answered before she drank some water.

-oOo-

 _Modern day_

"And we talked a bit more. I wish I had taken a bit of time to ask her about her family, but I felt it was a topic that she was a bit sensitive about…" Keitaro said.

Motoko nodded before she said, "It was back then and still a bit now. but I guess the event that further changed my opinion of him was a few days later, when I came back from my Kendo training camp..."

-oOo-

 _In the past…_

Keitaro and Su were waiting outside the Hinata. Su was leaning on Keitaro's back, hugging him from behind.

"So how long until Motoko comes back?" Su asked, her shifting side-to-side letting Keitaro know that she was getting ready to bounce all over the place from sheer boredom..

"Soon…" Keitaro answered as memories of a sleeping Su putting heavy strain on his back kept coming back to him. ' _Please come back soon, Motoko!''_

"How soon is soon?" Su asked.

Before Keitaro could answer, Su noticed Motoko was almost up the stairs. "Motoko!"

Su then used Keitaro's shoulders to vault over to Motoko and slightly surprised the Swordswoman by landing in front of her.

"Motoko!" Su cheered as she hugged her.

"It is good to see you, Su. I hope that Urashima didn't do anything perverted with you or anyone else," Motoko said as she hugged Su back.

"Well, I read his ecchi novels, found his porno magazines, learned that he doesn't have a girlfriend, discovered his face was as smooth as a girl's, offered to become a couple with him and Naru, and slept with him and Naru. Does any of that count?" Su asked.

When Motoko slowly turned her head to look at Keitaro, he let out a nervous whine when he saw the furious glare on her face. His whine got louder when Motoko stopped hugging Su and began to slowly walk over to him. He began to mentally pray when Motoko brought out her bokken.

"Urashima, why did Su look at your perverted belongings?" Motoko growled as she stared down at him like an angry goddess. Su had climbed onto Motoko back at this point.

"S-s-s-she ran through my room like a tornado!" Keitaro quickly said as he made placating gestures.

Almost a minute passed as Motoko looked down at him. Inwardly, she was debating about punishing him. Most of her instincts demanded it, but she kept recalling the time she had been sick.

Keitaro froze when Motoko walked past him.

"I'll forgive you just this once, but make sure that you do not repeat your mistakes!" Motoko stated. She paused and said, "Su? Could you please leave us? I need to speak with Urashima about something private."

"Really?" Su asked as she moved about to look Motoko in the eyes. Motoko nodded. "See you two soon, then!"

She leapt away from Motoko's back and ran into the Inn to tell the others that Motoko was home. Motoko turned to face Keitaro, but chose to wait until he calmed down enough that he wouldn't flinch when she spoke.

But before Motoko could say anything, Keitaro asked, "How do you do it? How can you keep up with Su?"

Motoko blinked a few times before she said, "I guess the training I underwent at the Shinmei-Ryu may have been a big help…"

"Well, whatever it was, I'm jealous," Keitaro said. "Su's a nice girl, but hard to keep up with…"

Remembering how exasperated she was when she first met with the younger girl, Motoko smiled a bit. "You get used to her antics after a while."

She then walked inside the Inn.

-oOo-

 _Modern day…_

"And then Naru told me about Su and Keitaro's actions when I walked inside," Motoko finished.

Keitaro raised a hand and said "And then there was the incident around Christmas. After Naru and I came back and after the party was over..."

-oOo-

 _In the past…_

After everyone seemed to have gone to bed, Keitaro tried to go to sleep but found himself unable to. So he decided to enjoy a cup of Cocoa while watching the falling snow from the balcony when Motoko appeared besides him.

"I must admit, when I and the others thought you were a thief, We all thought it would be a simple matter to catch you…" Motoko said. her face crumpled a little bit as she then muttered, "Or at least I did…"

"And?" Keitaro asked.

Motoko took a deep breath before she said, "I must congratulate you on being able to avoid us when you were trying to leave, but once again, I ask that you please not be so reckless in the future, Urashima."

He closed his eyes and chuckled. "I'll... Heh heh.. I'll try."

Motoko let out a quiet chuckle herself before she said, "Very well…"

Keitaro listened to the quiet crunch of snow as Motoko walked away. He lifted the cup of cocoa to drink it… only to quickly discover that the whole cup was missing.

-oOo-

 _Present day_

"And shortly after Motoko had taken my cocoa, I decided to go to sleep," Keitaro said. "I guess that would be our first indirect kiss."

Motoko's eyes widened. "W-w-wait… You had not drank any of that cocoa, did you?"

"Of course I did, while I was walking up to the balcony," Keitaro replied, looking curious at why Motoko was so concerned about one little detail from back then.

That curiosity increased a little when Motoko blushed red.

"Motoko?" Keitaro asked.

"Nothing! Nothing to worry about!" Motoko quickly answered as the blush only seemed to increase.

Tsuruko sighed before she said to herself, "I wonder why she is so worried about an indirect kiss from so long ago when I and a few others walked in on her making out with her boyfriend while dressed as a nurse a few minutes ago?"

Tsuruko was shaken out of her pondering when she heard a 'thump' nearby. Looking around, she saw that Shinobu had passed out with an expression that was a weird mix of shock, concern, and lust on her face.

"I hope that there isn't anything contagious around…" Tsuruko said to herself as she got up to go help Shinobu up to a chair.

-oOoOoOo-

Author's note -

This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of . They are also the planner of this fic.

A thanks to Eagle Ceres of for looking over this chapter.

A thanks to alansg of for suggesting a good chapter where the nail in the timeline occurs.

A round of thanks to Existential Insanity of for looking this over and giving suggestions. Go check their stories when you've got a chance.

(1) Okayu is Japanese rice porridge. It's mostly made for breakfast, but made often when one is feeling under the weather because of how easy it is to eat.

Shogayu is spicy, hot ginger tea. according to a few articles, it is said to be an excellent Japanese remedy for the early stages of a cold.

Edit on June 13, 2015: Thanks to the advice of Wittmann the Tiger Ace's review, I changed how Tsuruko and Motoko greet each other.

Edit on July 14, 2016 : Deleted a segment that Dragonjek pointed out that wasn't supposed to be there in the final version.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

 _Back when Kitsune left to go check up on Naru…_

Kitsune opened Naru's door and entered the room, closing the door behind her. Naru was quickly walking around her room, picking up and studying whatever she could grab. If it seemed to pass her panicked inspection, she tossed it onto her futon. If it failed, she placed it back down a bit too harshly for Kitsune's liking.

"Hey, Naru… It's a dumb question, but I gotta ask," Kitsune said, flinching a little bit when Naru glared at her. "How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling? how am I feeling?" Naru asked as her body tensed up in anger for a few moments. Then her shoulders slumped as she said, "I should have suspected something was up when he seemed to be less of a pervert…"

"Hey, you did think something was up. But you eventually were pleased as punch after awhile when he seemed to make less mistakes around here," Kitsune stated as she sat down in Naru's computer chair.

"Guess it means all good things come with a catch, eh?" Naru sadly muttered.

Kitsune pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance upon hearing that. After letting go, she looked at Naru and said, "Don't be like that. Look, I don't think anyone thought Keitaro would go after the honey who waves the oversized cutting knife at him."

"What about all the times you teased him and her about getting together?" Naru dryly asked as she turned around to look at her friend.

"Hey, that's all it was, just teasing. If I had known that either one had taken it as advice, I'd have never have said any of it!" Kitsune said as she put her hands on her hips, which was a bit difficult because of the chair's arms. Before Naru could respond, Kitsune quickly said, "And you know me! I never teased you when you were feeling down!"

Naru made an annoyed huff as she looked away for a few moments. Her shoulders slumped as she looked back at Kitsune and muttered, "Yeah, guess you're right…"

"Right. so let's see if we can think of a possible time where Motoko fell for him and became your rival," Kitsune said as she rubbed her chin. "Maybe it was around that time where Mutsumi left your room and entered Keitaro's room?"

Naru rubbed her chin as well.

"Yeah… She was really focused on trying to find out the truth. To think, we all thought it was because she wanted to become a lawyer when she yelled 'objection' when I was about to hit him... " Naru said, making a dark chuckle. "Maybe she didn't really want to find out the truth and just wanted to protect her boyfriend."

Kitsune rubbed the back of her head as she replied, "I dunno… I got the feeling that she really did want to find out the truth, considering how much she grilled him for exactly what he meant when he said some stuff and she also grilled Mutsumi to clarify what she said."

Naru took a sharp breath and held it for a few moments before asking, "Do you have a better suggestion?"

Kitsune thought for a few moments. She muttered. "Well, On the day Keitaro came home from the hospital, Motoko came home late from her school… Maybe Keitaro put the moves on her then?"

Naru made a dismissive noise before she said, "That seems far too soon. She was in a nurse costume, one with a short skirt! No way can he talk her into that so soon…"

"Yeah, guess you're right…" Kitsune muttered before she tried to remember another incident. She smiled when she came up with a possible time.

"Remember when we all thought Keitaro failed and you passed? She did seem the most active in trying to find him, never even gave us a reason why. She even disappeared with him for a few moments!" Kitsune exclaimed as she pointed a finger up.

Kitsune's smile faded and she put her hand down when Naru's whole body twitched in anger before sinking into depression once again. Not only did her shoulders slump, Naru fell to the floor, landing on her rear.

A depressed chuckle came from her before she muttered, "If that's the case, then it wasn't what Mutsumi said… He wasn't focused on classwork and passing, he was focused on Motoko…"

"Did he ignore you at any point?" Kitsune asked. A part of her hoped that he did, so she wouldn't have to bother holding back when she confronted him later, preferably without Motoko anywhere nearby.

It took Naru a few moments before she answered, "No, he's been the same kind idiot, but he's been more like that time where he was studying so hard, that he somehow became cool enough that we all were like giggling schoolgirls crushing on him…"

"But with moments of being that lovable perverted idiot that first came here…" Kitsune finished.

"Like I said, nothing good comes without a catch…" Naru muttered as she looked at the floor.

"Naru, if you say that one more time. I'm gonna slap you silly until I knock those words outta your head!" Kitsune said in an annoyed tone, her eyes angled in a bit of anger.

"I had a rival for Keitaro and I never even suspected it… All this time I thought that if Musumi tried, she'd be my biggest rival…" Naru muttered.

"Well, what about all the romantic things you and Keitaro did? Maybe reminding him might change his mind back to you?" Kitsune asked as she stood up and walked over to Naru. A few moments of silence passed. Kitsune then got on her knees to look Naru in the eyes. "Please tell me that you did something romantic with our glasses-wearing landlord…"

Naru made a nervous chuckle before she said, "Is going out for Beef bowls romantic?"

Kitsune face-vaulted a second after hearing that.

Kitsune sat up and rubbed the back of her head as she answered, "No. No, it is not…"

Naru made another nervous giggle as she replied, "Doesn't hurt to ask, right?"

Kitsune sighed before she said, "Let's go see what the two have done so far. Today might've been just an attempt to leapfrog stages in their relationship. You might still have a chance!"

"Maybe…" Naru muttered. Kitsune let out an annoyed huff before grabbing one of Naru's arms and dragging her to the living room.

-oOo-

After putting Shinobu in one of the comfy chairs in the room, Tsuruko turned around to check on Motoko and Keitaro.

Going by how Motoko was blushing less, Tsuruko thought, ' _Either Urashima is skilled at calming her down or Motoko is denying what she had learned a few moments ago.'_

When the sound of someone loudly eating a cookie surprised everyone, Tsuruko, Motoko, and Keitaro looked at the coffee table.

Sitting on the floor was two blonde girls. One had american features and the other had a skin tone that sort of reminded Tsuruko of Caramel. Both of the girls were eating the cookies that Shinobu had brought out.

"I am Tsuruko Aoyama. Who are you two?" Tsuruko asked.

"I'm Sarah McDougal," The Blonde American answered with a mischievous grin.

"I'm Kaolla Su and Shinomu's cookies are delicious!" The other girl answered.

Tsuruko grabbed one and ate it. She nodded for a moment before she said, "They are quite tasty."

"So are you Motoko's sister or something?" Sarah asked as Tsuruko sat down in a chair..

"Yes, I am her older sister. She and Keitaro were telling me a few stories about themselves," Tsuruko answered.

"You mean about when they became a couple or some stuff that led up to it?" Su asked before she ate another cookie.

"The latter, though I would like to hear some things about the former sooner or later," Tsuruko said. She took a quick glance at the couple, who were shocked and surprised at what Su had said. Sarah seemed a bit bored at what Su had said. ' _It seems like my_ _Imouto-chan_ _and her boyfriend were trying to keep their relationship a secret from everybody here. The young ones seem to have taken it well, but Ms. Narusegawa didn't.'_

Tsuruko quietly chuckled for a moment as she shook her head while she thought, ' _Then again, I could be taking it the wrong way and the only reason Ms. Narusegawa never found out about it was maybe she never paid that much attention around here. I should ask my husband to take a few days off from Mahora Academy if reading romance novels are affecting me like this...'_

"Is something amusing, Ane-ue?" Motoko asked, all traces of her blushing earlier had faded. The slightly annoyed look on her face was a sign that she might be thinking that Tsuruko might be laughing at her.

"Oh, nothing more than laughing at myself for almost jumping to conclusions, Imouto-chan," Tsuruko answered. She became puzzled when Motoko looked shocked for a moment and then went into a depressive slump. In a concerned tone, Tsuruko asked, "Imouto-chan?"

"I wish back when Keitaro first came here, I had your reaction… Instead, I chased after him, ready to do whatever it took to remove him from the Hinata…" Motoko muttered.

While watching the way Motoko's shoulders continued to slump a bit more, Tsuruko replied, "I apologize for bringing up old issues, Imouto-chan."

Keitaro placed his arm around Motoko and put his head near Motoko's as he said, "Motoko, I keep telling you, I forgive you and you should stop beating yourself up about the past like that."

"I know, but-" Motoko muttered before getting interrupted.

"Because if you keep on beating yourself up like that, I'm gonna have you cosplay as Reimu from Touhou," Keitaro said as he let Motoko go and backed away a little. Motoko's shoulders went back up and she glared at him. going by the grin on his face, Motoko's response was what he wanted.

"Tell Tsuruko about New year's when you wrapped your legs around his head and when you gave him a massage!" Su cheered. Motoko's glare quickly turned into an embarrassed grimace.

Tsuruko looked at Motoko with a raised eyebrow. Motoko waved her hands in front of her in a panicked manner as she said, "It's not what you think! We didn't do anything perverted back then!"

"As opposed to a short time ago?" Tsuruko asked, enjoying the blush returning to Motoko's face.

"Oh, what happened?" Sarah asked before chomping a cookie in half.

"Nurse's uniform and-" Tsuruko answered, knowing she'd be interrupted.

"Time-to-tell-another-tale!" Motoko said, her blushing face turning as red as her hakama."It-takes-place-at-a-temple-where-I-work-part-time-as-a-miko!"

-oOo-

 _Around new years, shortly after Keitaro came to the Hinata…_

Keitaro was doing his best to hold Motoko up as she tied his fortune to a tree, so the bad luck would be warded off.

"Easy job," Motoko muttered as she reached for the closest branch.

"Thank you, Motoko…" Keitaro quietly said. At the moment, he realized what situation he was in as his eyes looked off to the side, at Motoko's legs. At that moment, all he thought was, ' _Wow... legs.'_

A cold chill went down his back and his smile fell as he thought, ' _Huh?! Wait! This must be considered 'Getting near girls'.'_

' _Oh no! If this continues, something will happen!?'_ Keitaro thought as he began to lift up Motoko.

Once Motoko felt Keitaro begin to lift her up, she began to struggle as she tried to hold onto the tree while she cried out, "Woah! Keitaro! Stop!"

"WAAAH!" Motoko cried out as they fell to the ground. Keitaro would have cried out as well, but Motoko's shapely legs had squeezed around his neck.

After Motoko crawled away from Keitaro, he began to cough as air entered his throat once again.

' _How dare he… After I tried to help him and...'_ Motoko thought she began to stand up. As her hands curled into fists, the crinkle of paper got her attention. She looked down and saw that she was still holding onto his fortune. ' _Might as well look at this point…'_

 _Better to be alone. Stay away from the opposite sex. Might bring misfortune to both._

Motoko stated at it for a moment before she chuckled a little. With a slight blush, she thought, ' _So after everything here, he thinks of me as a woman, rather than a warrior.'_

When she saw that Keitaro was about to run away, Motoko quickly produced a bow and shot an arrow in front of him. Once he stopped in fright as he stared at the arrow, Motoko cried out, "Urashima, I will give you a second chance, but not if you run like a coward."

"But the-" Keitaro said before he was interrupted by Motoko firing another arrow near his feet.

"For this, think of me as a warrior first before anything else. I know I've given you plenty of examples since you've arrived at the Hinata," Motoko said before pointing at the ground besides herself. "Stand there."

Keitaro dumbly nodded in fear before he did as Motoko ordered. She then shot four arrows, each with talismans on them besides Keitaro's feet. when he looked at her, all Motoko would say was 'Incentive to stay still."

So Motoko climbed on Keitaro's back and tied his fortune to a tree, while Keitaro stared at the four arrows. After she climbed down, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "I apologize, Urashima, but it was the only way I could get you to stay still long enough to put that fortune on the tree."

"It's… It's alright, I guess," Keitaro muttered as Motoko dragged him away from the tree and the arrows in the ground.

"Let's go find the others before they start looking for us," Motoko replied once Keitaro started walking besides her.

A part of Keitaro wanted to put his arm around Motoko's, but fear of getting punished stopped that urge.

-oOo-

 _Present day_ …

Tsuruko drank some of her tea before she said, "Huh… For a moment, I thought for sure that you would have punished him for panicking and making you both fall on the ground."

"If it counts any, my urge to punish him lasted for an hour or two afterwards," Motoko stated.

"She calmed down a lot when I apologized to Shinobu for making her cry when I didn't let her see my fortune, though," Keitaro commented. Motoko smiled and nodded a little.

"And what of Naru's reaction back then?" Tsuruko asked.

Keitaro thought for a moment before he answered, "Well, she was getting an examinee's talisman. When Motoko was chastising Kitsune for getting drunk and passing out on the grass, Naru made me go get one for myself. After we got back to the Hinata, Naru showed off her Kimono to me."

"Yup! Naru got all jealous when Kitsune teased her about Keitaro seeing everyone dressed all fancy but her, so Naru walked away and said she had stuff to do," Su said. She then reached for another cookie, but found none. "Aw rats…"

"And who looked better back then, dork?" Sarah asked. Motoko slowly turned her head towards Keitaro with half-lidded annoyed eyes, seemingly demanding 'You better say that I was.'

"Well… Uh…" Keitaro stammered as he looked around the room to avoid answering.

His savior was the awakening Shinobu.

"What happened?" Shinobu asked as she began to rub her eyes.

"You heard something about a kiss and you passed out," Tsuruko answered. Shinobu's face turned a bright red.

"Uh… wah…" Shinobu muttered as she tried to not pass out again.

"Hey, Shinomu! Let's get more tea, everyone's almost out!" Su said before she dragged the young chef out of the room.

"Well, Keitaro? Answer Sarah's question..." Motoko asked as she crossed her arms.

Keitaro took a deep breath to calm himself down before he said, "Motoko, yours and Naru's outfits are different and that makes it too difficult to judge. Naru's Kimono was flattering on her and it had a beautiful print on it. While you really looked cool in your haori and hakama and really pulled off the yamato nadeshiko better than Naru did."

He ran his hand through his hair as he sighed. Then he said, "In other words, you're asking me to judge between an outfit for formal occasions against an outfit that you were wearing for religious purposes. I can't do that. It's like that english saying, comparing apples to oranges."

Motoko stared at him for a few moments, studying his features before she leaned in closer to Keitaro with a slight glare and said, "It sounds like you're stalling. Badly, I might add."

"Let's talk about the second day of the comprehensive exams!" Keitaro exclaimed. Then he remembered what happened on that day. "Uhh… Might not be a good idea…"

"Why? What happened, Dork?" Sarah asked.

"We all thought Keitaro was gonna off himself because he failed!" Su exclaimed as she rushed into the room on all fours while carrying a tray of food on her head. She stopped in front of the table and placed the tray on it. Almost everyone was quite surprised that not a bit of food had been dropped when the tray was on Su's head. "Luckily, it turned out he passed, but we read his reactions the wrong way! Motoko even gave Keitaro a massage in the hot springs while wearing a one-piece swimsuit!"

"Oh! That sounds interesting!" Tsuruko quietly exclaimed as she covered her mouth. Shinobu walked in and placed a tray of tea on the coffee table.

"It's not what you think! The other girls were there as well!" Motoko explained as she waved her hands in a panicked manner.

Tsuruko still covered her mouth while her eyes briefly rose. All she said was "Oh my…"

"And Keitaro was only in the Hinata for only four months!" Su said before she went to eat another cookie.

Motoko slumped a little bit as she looked at the ground. She weakly muttered, "Please don't think this place became a den of debauchery when he arrived here, sister."

A few moments of silence passed before Tsuruko started to laugh. Motoko looked up at Tsuruko with an inquisitive expression. As did everyone else in the room, including Kitsune and Naru, who just walked in.

When Tsuruko seemed to calm down, she said, " Relax, Motoko. I could tell she was over-exaggerating."

"So what'd we miss?" Kitsune asked, getting everyone's attention.

"Nothing much, other than when Motoko told me about when she was sick and Keitaro took care of her and when he had to take care of Su," Tsuruko said. She then looked up and placed a finger on her chin as she said, "There was a short tale where Motoko and Keitaro shared an indirect kiss that she only learned about now."

"Though if you wanna get technical, my kissing machine took her first kiss, though I made it better by kissing her soon afterwards!" Su cheerfully said.

"Was that before or after Mr. Urashima's indirect kiss with my Imouto-chan?" Tsuruko asked.

Su rubbed her chin for a moment before answering, "After."

Tsuruko chuckled for a moment before turning to face Motoko and asked, "So, Motoko, who was better, the machine, Su, or Mr. Urashima?"

Motoko looked down and took a deep breath. "Su at first, but Keitaro eventually was able to surpass her."

Su actually looked amazed at that. It took her a moment or two before she said with a chuckle, "Guess this means more practice for me!"

Motoko then quickly looked around. Keitaro seemed pleased. Shinobu looked at Keitaro with a bit of amazement. Sarah did as well, but looked a bit bored or annoyed. Kitsune looked concerned, but was looking at Naru out of the corner of her eye. Naru seemed to be trembling a little and looked like she had been betrayed somehow.

"Naru, is every-" Motoko asked before getting interrupted.

"I'd like to hear more of how you and Keitaro got together!" Naru quickly said, almost squeaking a little.

Tsuruko's smile lessened a tiny bit as she thought, ' _I suspect this won't end well.'_

-oOoOoOo-

Author's note -

This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of TheFanfictionForums. They are also the planner of this fic.

A thanks to Eagle Ceres and Threadweaver of TheFanfictionForums for looking over this chapter.

Edit on June 13, 2015: Thanks to the advice of Wittmann the Tiger Ace's review, I changed how Tsuruko and Motoko greet each other.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

Keitaro and Motoko glanced at each other

"When did we start to entertain the idea of us dating?" Keitaro asked.

"I am fairly certain that time during summer when we all went to the beach might be when the seed was planted. It was where I began to note your better traits." Motoko muttered as she looked down at the floor and rubbed her chin.

"I think I was about the same when it came to you, but what about that second duel?" Keitaro asked. Inwardly, he thought, _'I was where I sat down and thought about my dating prospects.'_

"Perhaps, but the time I ran away from the Hinata was when I considered changing my views about you. Though, tell them about the second duel first..." Motoko replied as she looked at him with a gentle smile that warmed him up enough that he smiled back.

"Before you begin, I have to ask about a few things," Tsuruko asked. "Second duel? What motivated this one and who won?"

Keitaro took a sharp breath before he explained, "Naru and I walked in on Motoko as she was changing. So she challenged me, with the terms being that the loser does whatever the winner says. She planned on putting me through something she called, 'one special Hell training' that she would give me."

"And what did you plan on asking her to do?" Tsuruko asked, her joyful tone sounding a bit fake as she raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't think of anything until after the duel, where Kitsune made a few suggestions. I didn't want Motoko to do any of them, so I asked Motoko to show more of her feminine side," Keitaro answered.

"Ah. Then I have no more questions at this time, other than how did you win" Tsuruko replied, raising one eyebrow. Inwardly she thought, _'Leaving that part of a challenge open until after the duel is… stupid. Motoko should be thankful that Urashima isn't the kind of pervert that Narusegawa tried to claim he was.'_

"As for how the duel went, he had a wooden bat and she had a sword without any guard. She broke through the bat, but Keitaro was able to catch the blade before she sliced him in two!" Su cheerfully explained. Motoko grew a bit nervous when Tsuruko shot her a glare that said _'We will talk about this later!'_

"It was a fluke…" Keitaro muttered as he briefly looked away.

Motoko quickly said, "Nonsense. It was a sign, possibly the first one he ever had, that was proof that he has more talent than he or anyone thought about him."

Motoko calmed down a little when Tsuruko seemed slightly pleased when she heard that.

Keitaro looked around the room as he gathered his thoughts before he said, "I guess after that second duel, the one where I actually won, I asked her to show more of her feminine side. After enduring a few rounds of the rest of the residents attempts to girl up Motoko, to various degrees of success, A now miniskirted Motoko and I were sent out for groceries. So after we left the Hinata to go shopping, we got off the train and I realized that her skirt was really short, so…"

-oOoOoOo-

In the past...

Keitaro had been looking down at the ground, trying to decide what to get first when Motoko briefly looked back in annoyance and said, "Urashima, please walk faster. I do not wish to be out like this any longer than I have to!"

So Keitaro began to look up. His eyes had been focused on her legs, so he thought, _'Huh, Motoko sure does have some nice legs...'_

When his eyes finally reached her skirt, memories of him and the girls tripping and falling, then either he wound up accidentally looking up their skirts or their skirts getting pulled off, and finally ending in him getting hit. A quick look up at her face when Motoko was looking around let him know that Motoko was uncomfortable. So he nervously said, "Then let's get you a longer skirt. Shouldn't cost too much."

He almost bumped into her, as she had stopped to ponder his words. Then Keitaro began to back away when Motoko slowly turned to glare at him as she asked, "Are you trying to peep under my skirt like a pervert, Urashima?"

"How is offering to get you a longer skirt being a pervert?" Keitaro asked as he put his hands up in a placating manner.

"You might try to look in the changing room while I'm in there…" Motoko growled as she continued to walk forward and making Keitaro walk backwards.

"I'll give you the money out of my wallet and wait outside for you?" Keitaro asked in response. Motoko stopped and so did Keitaro. "Just make sure we have enough for groceries."

Motoko paused for a few seconds as she took in Keitaro's words. There wasn't any anger in her expression, merely some slight surprise.

"That is acceptable. Let's go," Motoko said before she turned around and began to walk away, hiding her smile from Keitaro. He caught up to her and walked besides her as best he could.

-oOo-

 _Some time later…_

Keitaro was waiting besides the clothing store.

 _'Wonder what dress Motoko is going to -'_ Keitaro thought before he heard someone utter an 'Ahem' noise. He looked to towards the door and there Motoko was standing, wearing a longer skirt and holding the bag that held the mini-skirt she had been wearing..

It was a dark blue skirt that reached below her knees. She looked a bit embarrassed, though there were twitches at the corners of her mouth, like she was suppressing a smile.

"I thank you for giving me the money to acquire an acceptable skirt. I will try to make it up to you in the future," Motoko said before she turned around and began to walk away. "But let's finish the task we've been sent on."

"Let's take our time though," Keitaro replied as he followed after her. When Motoko turned her head around at him, Keitaro quickly said, "Kitsune and Su are probably going to tease us the moment they spot you wearing a new skirt. If you put on the other skirt, it'll probably be flipped up by the wind when we go up the stairs to the Hinata!"

A few moments passed as Motoko looked at him. At first, she was angry, but then she seemed to calm down. She let out a sigh before she muttered, "You're probably right. I can see all of that happening."

As she faced forward, a small smile managed to appear on her face as she then said, "So let's do some window shopping. Perhaps we might find something to buy the next time either one of us goes out?"

"Y-yeah!" Keitaro answered as he walked besides her.

-oOo-

 _After they returned to the Hinata…_

As the two walked up the stairs, Motoko briefly looked at one of the bags she was holding and smiled. Noticing that Keitaro was now looking at her, she quickly hid her smile and looked forward at the Hinata, though a small blush appeared on her face.

As they reached the top step, they were greeted by the other tenants.

Kitsune was the first one to notice Motoko's new skirt, so she covered her mouth and chuckled, "Oh-ho! Looks like they went on a date while we weren't looking!"

"It's not like that!" Motoko exclaimed as she childishly stomped. "Urashima actually used his brain for once and suggested that I get a longer skirt!"

"So what was wrong with the other one?" Su asked as she tilted her head a little bit.

Before Motoko could say anything, Keitaro answered, "Way too short and too many bad things could happen with me around her with me being a klutz."

Kitsune frowned, while Naru nodded. The latter placed her hands on her hips as she said, "Good thinking, but don't get a big ego over it."

Keitaro's shoulders slumped a bit as Naru and the others walked away, leaving Motoko by his side. Seeing that he was a bit depressed, Motoko quietly said, "If it matters, I… would not… refuse going on another excursion like we did today, Urashima.

Keitaro then watched as she quickly walked into the Hinata. He smiled a bit as he walked in as well.

-oOo-

After dinner, Keitaro followed Motoko up to the Balcony roof.

After looking back to make sure he wasn't being followed, Keitaro closed the door behind him, getting Motoko's attention. She asked in a fairly neutral tone, "What is it, Urashima?

Keitaro looked down, rubbed the back of his head, and muttered, "Ah-m… I thought about what I had you do today… I think forcing you to be more feminine against your wishes might have been a mistake…"

As she leaned against the railing, she thought about his words and what had happened that day. After coming to a conclusion, "While my fellow tenants enjoyed their fun at my expense, You at least tried to help me, even though you were the cause of it."

Keitaro shuddered a bit, like he had been hit with an arrow by her words.

"Well, if it helps any, you're at your best when you are your usual self, so you don't have to follow my demand anymore, if you don't want to," Keitaro replied.

Motoko looked up and thought for a bit more. Keitaro didn't like the cat-like smile appearing on her face.

"I'll accept your offer, but only if you're willing to train with me in hopes of making you less clumsy," Motoko said. Noticing his nervous reaction, she then added, "Don't worry, it won't be the training from Hell that I wanted to put you through earlier."

Keitaro then let out a sigh of relief before he rubbed the back of his head and answered, "I'll think about it, though it does sound very tempting…"

-oOo-

 _Present Day_

"...and after a day or two, he accepted and then we began some simple training. It didn't seem to have any effect on him until a few weeks later, when he accidentally tripped himself and Kitsune in one of the hallways, but somehow caught her and also prevented himself from falling," Motoko explained. She let out an annoyed sigh. "Then she called him 'her hero' which made him trip and fall.

Kitsune vaguely remembered that and giggled. She stopped when Naru looked at her with shocked and accusing eyes.

"Hey, I like to tease, remember?" Kitsune grumbled, not wanting to see Naru run away and accusing her of trying to 'steal' Keitaro or something.

"Y-yeah… I know…" Naru muttered.

 _'Another sign that this might not end well… Though I do like how Motoko seems to be getting out of her shell. I should thank Urashima later,'_ Tsuruko thought. She smiled a bit when she said, "I find the outing a bit cute. How many times have you worn the skirt afterwards, Motoko?"

"..A few times," Motoko said, feeling a bit wary, like she was about to enter a trap.

"More often than that! You wore that skirt every few days, until you bought a few matching ones!" Su cheerfully said before she ate another cookie in one bite.

 _'I wish Keitaro took me out on a date and bought me a skirt,'_ Shinobu thought as she momentarily sulked.

"How many times did she get teased?" Sarah asked the Hinata Inventor.

"A few days. Then everyone forgot about it," Su answered. Then she put her finger on her lips as she pondered something. "Funny thing is that when she wore that particular skirt, Keitaro didn't seem as clumsy."

"Huh…" Sarah muttered before she drank some tea.

Tsuruko raised an eyebrow as she mentally noted Su's comment. The elder Aoyama then asked, "So how long before the two of you decided to date?"

Both Keitaro and Motoko smiled a little.

"Well, I guess it was during summer…" Keitaro said, his smile turning into a grin as he began to hold Motoko's hand.

"And it was also when I confessed my feelings to him," Motoko said, now sporting a similar grin.

-oOoOoOo-

Author's note -

This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of . They are also the planner of this fic.

A thanks to Threadweaver of for looking over this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

Both Keitaro and Motoko smiled a little.

"Well, I guess it was during summer... August in 1999…" Keitaro said, his smile turning into a grin as he began to hold Motoko's hand. "When Haruka invited us to her beach Teahouse for a few days of sand, surf, and part time work to help fund the dorm's maintenance costs. Never one to turn down a trip to the ocean, we eagerly accepted."

"And it was also when I confessed my feelings to him," Motoko said, now sporting a similar grin

-oOo-

Shortly after Keitaro was punished for accidentally entering the changing room while the most of the Hinata girls were in the middle of changing, Motoko returned to continue changing herself. Shinobu and Kitsune were almost done changing.

After Motoko huffed in an annoyed tone, Kitsune asked in playful tone, "Kinda seems like you went light on him."

"He's practically immortal. Besides, I had to take it easy. There are innocent children all over the area," Motoko answered as she placed her towel down and began to take off her panties. "If he continues, I'll merely increase his training as punishment."

Kitsune was about to say something to make Motoko sputter and blush, but the fox was momentarily stunned when Motoko picked a swimsuit out of the square messenger bag she brought. Kitsune thought that Motoko would go with her school swimsuit.

Instead, Motoko had what appeared to a one-piece racing swimwear. Kitsune noted it was a drop back swimsuit with a teardrop cutout and thick straps on the back It was mostly black, except for a few blue lines. Two went from the holes for Motoko's legs to the back straps.

Motoko paused when she heard a whistle from Kitsune. As Motoko turned her head to face the Fox, Kitsune said, "Didn't think you'd wear something like that."

"What? Did you think that I'd wear my school swimwear out of a reason like 'it's good enough'?" Motoko asked in an annoyed tone as she slipped on the bottom part.

"Pretty much," Kitsune answered in a mostly flat tone as she finished putting on her black two-piece. There was a hint of curiosity that she was unable to hide. Shinobu slightly nodded in agreement with Kitsune. With a smile, Kitsune asked, "So what made you put on that nice little number? Was it… Keitaro?"

The last words made a big devious smile grow on the self-proclaimed fox's face.

Motoko was glad that putting on the top hid her face. She thought to herself, ' _I need to come up with… Wait!'_

After getting her head out of the neck hole, Motoko smirked and said, "I felt like getting a rise out of Urashima. After seeing you try it so much, I figured it shouldn't be hard at all."

Kitsune chuckled for a bit as she walked past Motoko. Before leaving the changing room, she looked back and said, "Heh, can't argue with that. Guy loses his composure faster than you can blink."

After she left, Motoko sighed. She let out a 'Urk!' when Shinobu passed by her.

"I like your swimsuit, Motoko," Shinobu said before she blushed and ran out of the changing room.

"..Thanks, Shinobu…" Motoko said after the young Hinata tenant left her sight. ' _I hope that Urashima also likes it. I had to save up quite a bit for it.'_

-oOo-

After leaving the changing room, Motoko began to look around for the Landlord.

After almost fifteen minutes of not being able to find him and some attempts of flirting from a few men that ended when she glared at them, Motoko began to grow annoyed.

' _Where is-_ ' Motoko thought as she began to grit her teeth just before she spotted a inner tube on the water. ' _There! He was out on the water the whole time!'_

As she made her way to the water, Kitsune, Su, and Shinobu followed after her.

" _However, since the others were more in a playful mood, I wasn't able to get him to notice my swimsuit at that time,_ _Ane-ue_ _," Motoko explained to Tsuruko. Tsuruko noted a slight blush on Motoko and Shinobu's faces that hinted at an interesting detail that was being left out. "But it didn't take long for another opportunity to arise…"_

"Hey, Someone might have to 'sacrifice' themselves to give Keitaro a boost," Kitsune said as she looked Motoko over with a grin.

"What… what do you mean 'sacrifice'? And stop looking at me that way," Motoko muttered. She looked away, towards the ocean and thought, ' _Perhaps I might be able to use this. I can just claim Kitsune went overboard.'_

A few seconds later, Motoko sighed as she thought, ' _No, he'll probably confront Kitsune after I tell him and find out that I lied.'_

"Heh, I was just messing with you," Kitsune replied with a chuckle. When Motoko didn't reply, Kitsune's smile began to go down.

Before Kitsune could say anything, Shinobu exclaimed, "I'll… I'll do it!"

Kitsune faced Shinobu and uttered, "Eeh?"

Shinobu closed her eyes and she shook her fist as she said, "If Urashima-Sempai will be restored, then I will do it!"

"Looks like the sweet little chef is putting her-" Kitsune began as she turned to look at Motoko. Seeing that Motoko was missing, Kitsune asked, "Motoko? You didn't faint, did you?"

-oOo-

"I'm going," Naru muttered in a rather annoyed tone.

"Uhm Uhm…" Keitaro muttered as he half-heartedly chased after her with a hand outstretched. He paused when a hand touched his shoulder. He turned his head to look back and saw Motoko. He quickly looked forward and saw that Naru had sped up and was quickly walking out of sight.

"Urashima, I came to warn you that Kitsune is planning on cheering you up and probably will be using Shinobu for it," Motoko explained. When Keitaro raised an eyebrow, she added, "And how often when she cheers you up, do you wind up being attacked for her amusement?"

Keitaro let out a sigh before he looked at Motoko. With a bit of a sad smile, Keitaro said, "Thanks for letting me know, Motoko."

"You're welcome," Motoko replied. "If she sees you with me and you appearing to be cheered up, I think she might give up any current schemes and simply watch."

"Don't you have better things to do than be with me?" Keitaro asked, raising an eyebrow. ' _I wonder what would have happened last night had Haitani didn't throw that beer can and knocked me on top of Narusegawa?'_

' _He must be thinking that Kitsune sent me!'_ Motoko thought. She raised her hands up in a panicked, placating manner as she nervously said, "I'm just concerned about my friend and student's well being, you've been pretty down these last few days. Not to mention, we all start work tomorrow, so it seems a waste to let today slip by without enjoying it."

She began to blush and shake a little. Keitaro found it to be a bit cute as he thought, ' _Well, might be a good idea to let Naru calm down. Besides, unlike Kitsune, I bet nothing will happen.'_

Keitaro let out an amused huff before he said, "Yeah, might as well relax while we can."

Motoko seemed to calm down upon hearing that. She said, "I'm glad you understand, Urashima. Let's go back before anything happens."

Keitaro nodded before the two of them began to head back to the beach tea house Hinata. Motoko blushed as as observed Keitaro checking out her body. Her hands began to curl as she asked with only a touch of anger, "Urashima?"

"Oh-Oh! Nothing!" Keitaro quickly said, making placating gestures. "I was just admiring your swimsuit! It looks really good on you!"

Motoko blushed once again. She looked away and coughed into one of her hands before she said, "T-thank you, Urashima. I recently bought it for this trip."

She began to walk away from Keitaro a little quicker than before, but he was able to follow.

" _...When we encountered the others, save for Naru, we learned that they spent an hour in the water, waiting for Keitaro to pass by," Motoko said._

 _Tsuruko looked at Kitsune and Su. Kitsune nodded and seemed a bit upset. Su cheerfully said, "Yup! Then Kitsune later scammed Keitaro out of a few drinks as revenge!"_

 _Before Tsuruko could say anything, Keitaro said, "A few days later there was a local festival near the beach teahouse. The girls were loaned some Yukata from Haruka, We met up with Seta and Sarah, and another step was taken…"_

-oOo-

"Anyway, no need for concern for that stupid perverted idiot," Naru said as she and Seta walked away from everyone else, heading towards the goldfish dip stand.

Each of Naru's words hit Keitaro like a knife. a mix of sadness and anger slightly ran through him as he gritted his teeth.

However, Naru's words also seemed to hit Motoko. As with Keitaro, they stroked her anger. Unlike him, she also began to feel a bit… possessive. She looked at Keitaro's face and noticed the look in his eyes.

As Keitaro turned to face Shinobu, he uttered, "Shin-Urk!"

"We are going to look around, Urashima. I will not accept anything else," Motoko said in what seemed to be an annoyed tone as she hugged Keitaro's arm and dragged him away from the blue-haired chef.

Naru had heard that and looked back. A look of uncertainty crossed her features. Seta seemed to notice that, as he asked, "Narusegawa? You feeling alright?"

Naru looked at Seta and smiled, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was concerned about nothing important."

As she forced Seta to follow after her, Naru thought, ' _There's no need to worry. Motoko's there to prevent Keitaro from being a pervert to everyone here!'_

After losing sight of Naru and Seta, Motoko seemed to calm down enough to let Keitaro walk under his own power.

"So what where shall we head first? Perhaps some ice cream to wet our appetite?" Motoko asked. She seemed to smile a little bit.

"Motoko?" Keitaro asked, sounding slightly worried. For some reason, Keitaro's tone made Motoko let go of his arm and jump away from him a little.

"I-I was making sure you didn't try to involve Shinobu in any attempts to spite Narusegawa. She is too innocent," Motoko answered, trying her best to look like how she usually did when she was intimidating. Luckily for her, being attentive wasn't Keitaro strong suit most of the time.

Keitaro looked away and rubbed the back of his head. After a few moments, he said in a guilty tone, "Yeah…"

Motoko took his hand and led him to one of the food stands, saying, "Now that's out of the way, let's get something."

 _Keitaro looked at Motoko and said, "We did get a few booths commenting that we made a cute couple."_

 _Motoko nodded, making Tsuruko ask, "Did my_ _Imouto-chan_ _blush like a love-struck schoolgirl?"_

" _Yup!" Keitaro quickly said with a nod. Motoko blushed as she looked away._

After they got some ice cream, the two idly wandered around. Just as they neared the haunted house attraction, a thought went through Motoko's head.

"Shall we try this, Urashima?" Motoko asked, pointing at the attraction. Keitaro looked at it. After a few seconds, Motoko asked in a confused and annoyed tone, "Urashima?"

"I just… You sure you wanna go here now? Why not lead up to it?" Keitaro asked. Inwardly, he thought, ' _If I had said that I couldn't see her going into this because she'd get bored by it, I bet she'd attack me before I could even finish the sentence!'_

Motoko smiled once again. There was an urge to hug his arm once again, but she quashed it as she said, "That does have merit, Urashima. Let's try something else then."

-oOo-

"After that, we had fun. We even managed to get the stuffed animal that Tama prevented Urashima from getting for Shinobu," Motoko said.

"Did you return to the Haunted house attraction?" Tsuruko asked, inwardly hoping that they did.

"Yes and he jumped when he got scared," Motoko quickly said.

"You did as well. Though you did attempt to attack some of them," Keitaro commented. Motoko's response was to hug his arm tight enough to have him let out, "Ow!"

With a smirk, she loosened her grip. Motoko then said, "Before we went looking for everyone else, We watched the festival fireworks together."

"We ended up staging a play for the local kids, It was _Journey to the west_. I played Genjou, and Motoko played Gojou Sa," Keitaro continued. "Though I switched parts with Naru when the part where Genjou was kidnapped because Seta played Gyuumao."

"Due to the training, Keitaro did fairly well, though Seta was playing around with him," Motoko explained.

"Ah, so how long before this Seta defeated Urashima?" Tsuruko asked. ' _I have an idea I know who Seta is, but better to play ignorant for now'_

Motoko lightly chuckled before she said, "Seta didn't defeat Keitaro. The staff that Keitaro was holding extended for some reason. It hooked onto Naru's top and took it off. Naru then hit Keitaro and he flew into Seta, thus she defeated them both."

"Didn't Seta beat you on stage, Motoko?" Kitsune asked. Motoko lost her blush and slowly looked at Tsuruko, who only tilted her head in curiosity and raised an eyebrow.

After a few moments, Motoko nodded as she said, "I'll explain later."

' _Should be interesting…'_ Tsuruko thought. She head back a naughty smirk as she thought, ' _Perhaps at that time, I might inquire about that nurse outfit she was wearing? There should be an interesting story behind that.'_

-oOoOoOo-

Author's note -

This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of TheFanfictionForums. They are also the planner of this fic.

Someone who went by aldocasas helped while the chapter was on GDoc.

The chapters used were 35 to 37.

Edit on June 13, 2015: Thanks to the advice of Wittmann the Tiger Ace's review, I changed how Tsuruko and Motoko greet each other.

Edit on March 24, 2017, A reviewer by the handle 'Rubius ', found a mistake that went unnoticed for a few years. Somehow, when I went to type 'Gojou Sa', I typed 'Sagajo'


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

"As for what happened next, I spent the better part of the day, wondering about how I felt about Narusegawa and Motoko. A part of me wanted to apologize for everything to Narusegawa, but things happened and I kept getting interrupted," Keitaro explained. "After Seta talked with Haruka, Seta left Sarah with us, as his job was lacking in the stability he thought she needed.."

"Oh yeah. I tried to get you and Naru to go to that old shipwreck around that time," Sarah muttered, lost in thought. She giggled for a moment before she said, "Before I could do anything-"

"I decided to intervene," Motoko interrupted.

-oOo-

Motoko had walked away from Haruka's beach teahouse, intent on training. As she looked around for a good spot, she spotted Naru and Keitaro wandering together. A twinge of jealousy shot through her as she narrowed her eyes. Looking off to the side, she spotted Kitsune talking with someone. Seeing that Kitsune was gesturing to some nearby Jetskis, Motoko smiled.

' _Perhaps training can wait...'_ Motoko thought as she quickly walked over to Keitaro and Naru. However, Sarah was also running to speak with Naru and Keitaro. However, before Sarah could speak, Motoko appeared between her and the couple.

"Urashima, Narusegawa, Kitsune is procuring some Jetskis. Perhaps we could-" Motoko said before she was shoved by Sarah.

"Back off! I was talking to them first!" Sarah yelled as she stomped her feet.

"Well, I didn't see or hear you," Motoko replied, looking unperturbed.

Keitaro was about to say something, but Naru beat him to the punch. "We'll get to you in a second, Motoko. What did you want to speak with us, Sarah?"

After flashing Motoko a self-satisfied smirk, Sarah pointed to a far off island and said to Naru, "Well, Haruka told me that there's an old shipwreck on that island. Can you take me there?"

"That far?" Keitaro muttered as he, Motoko, and Naru looked at the island.

"Well, my pa told you to take care of me, didn't he?" Sarah asked.

"Perhaps the jetskis that Kitsune is trying to procure might be of help? Of course, you could try to use a raft, but I suspect that even after all the training I put you through, you'd be exhausted once we reach the island, Urashima," Motoko stated as she pointed over to where Kitsune was, getting the others to look in the direction.

At the moment, Kitsune seemed to be flirting with the jet ski owner, most likely trying to get a discount.

" _Yup, barely had to pay anything!" Kitsune cackled, remembering the event quite fondly. "but don't mind me, continue!"_

 _Motoko then said, "As I was saying…"_

A part of Keitaro felt a bit incensed at what Motoko had commented. He said, "I dunno. I might be able to make it over without getting tired with the training you gave me."

"I doubt it, but let's try it.," Motoko muttered. Keitaro let out a confident huff as he began to lead them to the area with the rafts.

" _However, it seems that Tama had followed us and was hungry. The moment that Keitaro had paid the rental for a raft, Tama had bitten it and we watched the deflating raft fly into the waters," Motoko explained._

" _Who is Tama?" Tsuruko asked, tilting her head a little._

" _A hot springs turtle, flies around for some reason. he likes Motoko, but…" Keitaro trailed off, as he looked over at Motoko, who seemed bothered by him talking about Tama._

" _But Motoko is still afraid of turtles,' Tsuruko said, before she covered her mouth to giggle a little bit._

" _It's not funny," Motoko pouted._

" _But it is fairly cute," Tsuruko replied. "But we're getting off track. Please continue."_

 _Keitaro nodded before he said, "Right…"_

Kitsune was pleased as punch. She looked around for Shinobu and Su, but spotted a morose Keitaro, with Motoko and Naru trying to cheer him up. Sarah was facepalming, grumbling something about 'stupid turtles'.

"What happened with you guys?" Kitsune called out as she waved her arm at the four.

"Perhaps we can ask her if she'd be willing to let us use the jetski she got, like I suggested?" Motoko said, as she lightly shook Keitaro.

"Couldn't hurt," Keitaro muttered as he began to walk towards the self-proclaimed fox.

"Hello Kitsune. If it isn't a problem, Could we borrow the jet ski you procured?" Motoko asked.

"Why?" Kitsune asked not wanting the jetski involved in anything that might get it destroyed. Flirting can only go so far, after all.

"Seta left Sarah with Keitaro, and she asked to go see a shipwreck over there," Naru said as she pointed to a far off island. "But when Keitaro-baka tried to get us a raft, Tama bit it and it popped."

"I don't see how blaming Keitaro for what Tama did is gonna help matters," Kitsune muttered as she rubbed the back of her head. "But, yeah, We can use the jet ski to check out the island."

A smile crossed her face as she then said, "But after we have some fun with it. Since we have too many people, we're gonna have to split into groups. Regardless of who else is in the group, I'll be in charge of the Jet Ski, since I paid for first group will be-"

"Me, Motoko, and Keitaro!" Su exclaimed. Kitsune looked disappointed for a moment, but shrugged.

-oOo-

"Careful now, Keitaro! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were falling in love with me!" Kitsune playful said as Keitaro held her a bit tighter as she made the jetski go a bit faster. She was steering the Jet Ski, while Keitaro sat behind her. Motoko was holding onto a cord attached to the back of the Jet Ski while she was on a wakeboard. Su was currently sitting on Motoko's shoulders.

Keitaro didn't quite hear Kitsune's remark, as he was looking behind himself and was too focused on Motoko. It wasn't often he had more than a second to see the figure that Motoko had under her Hakama without getting attacked. He was mesmerized by her long sculpted legs, her excellent figure, and the gentle smile she had on her face. A part of Keitaro's mind compared to to some depictions of the goddess, Venus, with how the water broke into waves behind her.

 _'If I didn't know better, I'd say she was trying to flirt with me...'_ Keitaro thought, barely registering Su's smile getting bigger.

" _Indeed, I was," Motoko stated as she rubbed her head against his shoulder._

As for Sarah, Shinobu, and Naru, they were waiting at a pier for the jetski to come back. Shinobu was jealous of Kitsune being so close to Keitaro. So was Naru, but she was convincing herself that she was getting upset at Keitaro having a chance to be a pervert with Kitsune.

Sarah grumbled, getting Naru's attention. seeing the young girl was getting annoyed, Naru put her hand on Sarah's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. After we get our turn, we'll go check out that shipwreck you wanted to go see."

Sarah merely grunted in reply.

After a while, Kitsune came back to the pier.

"Alright, now it's Naru and Shinobu's turn." Kitsune cheerfully said. "Then I'll take Sarah, Naru, and Keitaro over to that island she wanted."

As Motoko and Keitaro got onto the pier, Sarah thought with a frown, _'There has to be some way to be really naughty and get kicked out.'_

Sarah barely was able to hide her cackle, merely making Su a bit curious. After all, Su knows an evil cackle when she hears one

"Everybody ready?" Kitsune called out.

"I am!" Naru replied with a smirk.

"Here we go then!" Kitsune cried out as she started up the jetski. Unlike Motoko, Naru was having some problems with staying on the board at first, but was able to get used to it fairly quickly. As with Motoko, Keitaro enjoyed the sight, but being from a distance, it wasn't as good and for some reason, he felt a bit guilty.

' _The reason for that was because there was that matter where I had yet to apologize to Narusegawa," Keitaro explained._

" _When were you able to?" Tsuruko asked._

 _Keitaro smiled before he opened his mouth._

" _I think I know what happens next," Kitsune said as she gestured to Sarah. "Sarah managed to convince me to make Keitaro look like a fool. Since it wasn't hard, I did so."_

Motoko and Naru both watched as Keitaro did his best to hold onto the line. Kitsune and Sarah were on the jet ski. A wicked smile crossed both their faces. In mere moments, Kitsune began swerve a lot. The more trouble Keitaro had staying balanced, the harder Sarah laughed.

" _Of course, eventually all of us forgot about visiting the island where the shipwreck supposedly was," Motoko said._

" _When we finished having fun and began to head back, Narusegawa wanted to speak with me about something," Keitaro explained._

"Well, that was fun!" Kitsune said as she put her hands behind her head. "Can't shake off the feeling we forgot something, though.

"Keitaro, I kinda want to tell you something," Naru said, getting everyone's attention. Naru quickly glared at them before she said, "Alone!"

Kitsune covered her smiling mouth for a moment before she began to drag Motoko away.

"C'mon, kids! Leave them be!" Kitsune called out, making Shinobu and Motoko a bit worried. When Sarah and Su sighed in annoyance, Kitsune then quietly muttered, "We can interrogate Keitaro and Naru later about what happened."

Both Sarah and Su looked pleased at that, Shinobu was a bit more calmed down, and Motoko merely got a bit more worried. But they left Keitaro and Naru alone.

"Your friends spoke with me today, Keitaro. They told me that it was their fault for the stuff that happened the other night ," Naru said, bowing a little.. "So I'm sorry for being so hard on you."

"It's okay, Naru," Keitaro replied. He would have said more, but he was interrupted.

"Now that's out of the way, let's catch up with the others before they get bored enough to try something," Naru quickly said before she turned around and began to walk away.

Keitaro sighed before he followed after her.

' _And then on the 29th, we all were back at the Hinata and getting ready to go back to our usual routine. So Naru and Keitaro began to study once again. I began to go back to training," Motoko said._

" _Are you sure you want to talk about this?" Keitaro asked, looking a bit worried._

" _Yes, as it shows how honest you are," Motoko said._

In Naru's room she and Keitaro were doing their best to study and practice quizzes. However, the lethargy that comes when one returns from vacation was hard to shake off.

Naru put down her pencil and papers and began to stretch, unwittingly giving Keitaro a good look at her body. Not wanting to get punished, Keitaro quickly put down his pencil and papers and stood up, looking away from Naru.

"Keitaro?" Naru asked.

"I'm just taking a bit of a study break, Narusegawa. I think I need to stretch my legs," Keitaro said before he headed towards the door..

Naru frowned a little bit before she looked at some of the old papers. Seeing the mistakes that she and Keitaro both made, she muttered, "He might have a point."

Keitaro left her room, closing the door as he did so.

"I wonder if Motoko is up for an impromptu training session?" Keitaro muttered before he heard a small explosion. Keitaro then ran to where he thought he heard it. When he go there, he was greeted with an unusual sight.

Su kissing a surprised Motoko. Su even had one foot popped and was moaning a little.

After a few seconds, Su let go of Motoko. Motoko fell to the ground and began to take deep breaths.

Su merely giggled for a few moments before she said, "I kissed Motoko."

"What did it taste like?" Sarah asked as she leaned in closed to Su.

Su looked off to the side for a moment before she said, "Kinda like soy sauce."

Keitaro warily took a few steps closer to Motoko before he asked, "Are you alright, Motoko?"

Motoko's head shot up at him. A wild, panicked expression was on her face as she asked, "How much did you see?!"

"Uh... Su kissing you," Keitaro nervously answered. Motoko stared at him for a few moments before she… ran off. Keitaro muttered, "Huh…"

" _Later, he and Naru spoke with Shinobu on the roof," Motoko said. "I had decided to follow him. I still don't know if it was to force him to train while I felt like punishing him or to threaten him into silence, though."_

"Umm, have either of you…" Shinobu muttered. "Uhh, kissed before?

"Kiss?" Keitaro and Naru uttered. From her hiding spot, Motoko almost did the same.

"I was wondering what it tastes like," Shinobu explained as she looked at Keitaro who flailed a little as she did so.

"T... Taste?" Keitaro exclaimed. He paused for a few seconds before he said, "I guess… Mutsumi did a long time ago, but she seemed the type to be really over-affectionate."

Motoko froze in place as she thought, ' _He actually kissed someone?!'_

"As for how it tasted… I guess like a watermelon, but it's been a long time. So I might be wrong," Keitaro said as he rubbed his chin in thought.

Shinobu then looked at Naru. Before Shinobu could ask, Naru nervously said, "Yeah, I guess Keitaro-baka might be right in Mutsumi being over over-affectionate, as she kissed me too. But I was too shocked to remember what it tasted like."

Motoko barely could hold back her surprised squeal as she thought, ' _Mutsumi kissed Naru as well!?'_

Shinobu let out, "Huh… Well, thanks for answering my question."

" _And that's how I learned Urashima had kissed someone before me," Motoko said._

" _While cute, I fail to see why you would tell me this," Tsuruko replied as she rubbed her chin in thought._

" _I'd rather have someone who would admit he kissed someone before me than someone who would lie about it," Motoko answered as she rubbed herself against Keitaro's arm "As for when our relationship had started, there was something that happened… a few weeks later, I believe…"_

"You know, you've become a lot more feminine than you used to be," Kitsune said.

"Yeah, cute dress, too," Shinobu uttered.

'"I think you've become more approachable," Naru commented.

"Cuter too," Shinobu remarked.

Naru then said, "A year ago, you were really intimidating."

Kitsune rubbed her chin in thought as she said, "A year? That was right around when Keitaro came."

"What, what does Urashima have to do with this?" Motoko exclaimed as her face began to blush.

"Don't be so shy. It's a good trend," Kitsune playfully said. A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she said, "But… Your swordmanship may have suffered in return."

Before Naru could comment, Keitaro quickly said," Stop that, Kitsune! Motoko's skills haven't suffered at all!"

"Sure they have," Kitsune replied. "She's been training you, so it's probably a bit of your fault, Keitaro, if not all of it."

' _Could Kitsune be right? Could my training of Keitaro be the cause?'_ 'Motoko thought as her blush took a brighter shade of red.

"Yeah, it probably is," Naru muttered, slightly glaring at Keitaro.

"If Motoko hadn't spent time training me, could she have beaten Seta-san, Naru?" Keitaro asked.

Everyone's eyes went to Naru, who froze for a moment from all the attention. After a few moments, she began to blush as she muttered, "N-no, he's too strong and skilled... "

" _After that, I grew angry and attacked Keitaro in a fit of childish rage. However, Tama appeared on his head and caught Shisui with his flippers," Motoko explained. "I then decided to leave the Hinata. However…"_

" _Su, Sarah, Tama, and I followed after her. We even found the cabin she had planned on living in," Keitaro continued."_

" _It was later that night, I woke up alone and looked over Urashima," Motoko said, sounding a bit cheerful. "and came to a decision…"_

Motoko looked over Keitaro as she thought, ' _Sleeping so innocently, you weakling. Come to think think of it, I never cared about my approach-ability nor femininity. The more I think about it, the more it seems like he's the prob-'_

She paused as a pain hit her heart when she thought about getting rid of Keitaro.

Two ghostly mini-Motokos appeared on her shoulders. The one on her right was in her usual Hakama, the other on her left was dressed in a tanktop and shortshorts.

." _You serious?" Kitsune asked._

" _No, I wish to make things more entertaining," Motoko explained. "Or do you wish to hear about me talking to myself for awhile?"_

 _Kitsune sighed before she said, "Continue…"_

" _As I was saying…" Motoko said._

"Your skill hasn't decreased at all! In fact, training Keitaro has allowed you to review the basics once again! After all, remember the advice that Tsuruko told us that Bruce Lee once said, 'I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times'," The Chibi-Motoko on the left said.

"Tsuruko was at her strongest when she was not with that that man! You will grow weak, like she did!" The Hakama-clad Chibi-Motoko exclaimed with a stomp.

"I disagree. Her skills did get shot for a time when she met with him, but when she got over her nervousness, she began to train with him and got even stronger than we thought she could be!" The casual outfit Chibi-Motoko replied, pointing towards the sky.

"What about the incident?" The Hakama-wearing Chibi-Motoko asked as she raised an eyebrow.

A moment passed before the casual outfit Chibi-Motoko coughed. she then said "That was… not something that made Tsuruko weak…"

"But it certainly made us weak!" The Hakama-clad Chibi-Motoko yelled as she pointed at her counterpart.

The casual outfit Chibi-Motoko smirked, infuriating her counterpart. She said, "No, not in the way you think. Hate has been weakening us ever since then. To be in love, and understanding that the desire to protect that which you love is the root of how the cutting evil blade works. Perhaps Keitaro, in his innocently weak ways, is-"

"He is not making us stronger! He is making us weaker!" The Hakama-clad Chibi-Motoko yelled.

The casual outfit Chibi-Motoko sighed, not wanting to bring out her trump card. She said, "Sooner or later, Tsuruko is going to come here to take us back. Most likely before we are ready. If we were to be in a real relationship, then she would let us stay at the Hinata."

The Hakama-clad Chibi-Motoko froze. After a few moments, she looked down and said, "What if he refuses to be with us? He does show a lot of attraction to Narusegawa…. and Kitsune… and Shinobu…"

"And us when we're given a chance," The casual outfit Chibi-Motoko answered. "And if he refuses, better to have tried and know we couldn't be in a relationship, than to spend the rest of time wondering if we did."

The two Mini-Motoko vanished. Motoko gently shook Keitaro awake. He began to rub his eyes as he muttered, "Huh… wha…"

"I wish to speak with you about something important, Urashima," Motoko whispered as she took Su off of her back.

"Okay," Keitaro muttered as he got up and began to stretch. When Motoko neared the door, he followed after her.

"Let's go outside, so we won't wake them up," Motoko said.

Keitaro nodded.

After the two got outside, Motoko looked away from Keitaro and studied her surroundings, seeking anything that might give her strength. Looking towards the horizon, the sun would rise within a hour or two. The air had a bit of a feeling that was a sign that there had been a storm some time ago. There was barely any sounds around them, save for the odd cricket here and there.

"Urashima, I know we haven't seen eye to eye when we met, and I apologize for my dishonorable actions," Motoko said, the last few words seemed to strain her.

"It's alright, Motoko. I apologize for my actions," Keitaro replied, feeling a bit more awake at the moment.

"You really are too kind, Urashima. I can see why we all seem to have feelings for you," Motoko quietly said.

"Motoko?" Keitaro asked, not having quite heard what she said.

"Urashima… It's hard for me to say this," Motoko said, in a tone that worried Keitaro. "But… But…"

"Motoko?" Keitaro asked, taking a step closer to her.

However, that made Motoko lose her nerve, so she quickly said, "Let's have a training match!"

"Oh… Okay… Lemme get our bokken," Keitaro said before he turned around and walked back to the cabin.

' _Stupid Urashima. Stupid me,'_ Motoko thought, grimacing a little bit.

" _The training match was nothing out of the ordinary. He showed some growth, surprised me a little by dodging my attacks a little better than before and almost hitting me, but I won," Motoko explained. " When morning came around, I asked for his help with a technique."_

" _I didn't say I would or wouldn't. Sarah and Su tied me up to a rock and she used… " Keitaro said before he began to scratch his head. "I think it was Zanmaken Ni No Tachi?"_

" _Correct!" Motoko uttered before she kissed him on the cheek._

 _Seeing that Naru's fists were trembling, Kitsune said, "Careful, girl. We got Motoko's older sis her and she probably stronger than our Aoyama!"_

" _Once the attack succeeded in not harming him, I then told Sara, Su, and Tama to head back to the Hinata ahead of us," Motoko continued._

Once again, Motoko was looking away from Keitaro. Her face was blushing red.

' _Do not falter, Motoko! Do not let his clumsiness or your fear stop you!'_ Motoko thought. "Urashima… It's hard for me to say this, but…"

Keitaro watched as Motoko began to tremble.

"But…" Motoko said as she turned around. Her eyes were tearing up as she said, "I love you, Keitaro! I… I will await your reply, no matter how long it takes!"

Keitaro was stunned. When he recovered, he thought, ' _Motoko loves me? Wha.. but… Wow! But if I accept, I'd be betraying Naru's feelings…. feelings for me that haven't seemed to go beyond what they were a year ago. I almost think she likes things to never change… Enough of that, Keitaro! Motoko's put her feelings on the line! She's done quite a bit for me. She started that training thing to help me get less clumsy. Sorta worked, though mostly because I'm only around her a good deal of the time. Then again, she doesn't insult me much like before. Probably the only one besides Shinobu to actually praise me, even if most of it occurs when we're alone.'_

Keitaro briefly looked at Motoko's body before looking her in the eyes. ' _She's also wearing casual clothes a lot more often. Still wears the Hakama, but it's important to her and she is lovely in it. Motoko's also gotten a bit more relaxed around me, so she isn't giving me the evil eye like before. The only time she does give me it is when I trip and accidentally do something like pull off her Hakama or grab her breasts.'_

A small smile crossed his face as he thought, ' _Then again, I believe I'm thinking of Motoko more often. When I pass by a trinket shop, my thoughts are 'I wonder what would Motoko would like', instead of 'what would Naru like'. Besides, the vacation probably proved that Naru's heart belongs to Seta-san. Motoko's definitely not the promise girl, but chances are neither is Naru. If or when I find the promise girl, I'll apologize to her."_

"Motoko," Keitaro said with his smile growing bigger. Hope and a touch of fear filled Motoko's eyes. Keitaro thought, ' _I just hope that no matter what happens, we'll still be friends.'_

His decision was clear.

"Motoko, with some of the examples I've had in life so far, like Naru for one, I'm not sure what love is, but I have an idea of what I'd like it to be. I'd really like to see if we could find it together. I'd love to be your boyfriend, if you'll let me," Keitaro said.

Motoko's response was a smile and then hugging his head closer for a kiss. It barely lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to make him freeze in place.

"I'll go pack my belongings before I head back. I suggest you do the same," Motoko cheerfully said before she scampered away. It took Keitaro almost a minute to move from the spot Motoko had kissed him.

When he was able to move, Keitaro said, "I guess getting ready for more than an overnight stay was pointless…"

-oOo-

"And that's where we became Boyfriend and Girlfriend," Motoko cheerfully said.

Naru's response was to run away as she said, "I need to get ready!"

Kitsune sighed before she said, "Gotta go make sure she doesn't do anything stupid while she's here."

Sarah shook her head with an amused smile before she said, "Me and Su decided to stick around when Motoko began her little announcement. Su then talked me into not revealing that the idiot and Motoko were a couple. She said it'd be funnier that way once the secret got out."

"Is that true, Su?" Shinobu asked, holding back the urge to run off and cry.

Su nodded. "Kinda. We didn't have to do much to keep it a secret. Almost everyone tends to respect each other's privacy here."

"So… Urashima, when you prayed that you would still be friends no matter what, who were you refer -" Tsuruko asked before a small turtle flew in and landed on the coffee table, where it stared at her. "I take it you are Tama?"

"Myuh!" The turtle answered with a nod before it bit a cookie away from the tray and began to eat it.

Tsuruko then looked at Motoko, who was hiding her face in Keitaro's shoulder and also was trembling. Tsuruko thought, ' _How cute… and probably a bit of a bad sign about certain aspects about their relationship.'_

-oOoOoOo-

Author's note -

This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of . They are also a planner of this fic.

I wrote the latter half of this chapter while hit with a sore throat and then a nasty cold, so I apologize for my poor writing during it.

A great thanks to Threadweaver of for looking over this chapter and helping out near the end where my quality of writing was going down. Especially the part where Keitaro replies to Motoko's declaration of her feelings. I had wrote a single sentence that had little-to-no buildup. Threadweaver wrote a far superior reply.

A thanks to EagleCeres for looking this and the previous chapters over.

The chapters used for this from the Manga were 38, 39, and 40.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

"So… how far are the two of you in your relationship?" Tsuruko asked the couple.

Both Keitaro and Motoko blushed a little, turning their eyes to each other as if having a silent conversation. Their interest piqued, the others in the room drew closer.

"I think we could tell them about Pararakelse island…" Keitaro said. When Motoko nodded, Keitaro began. "It started after I was leaving the academy…"

-oOo-

Keitaro walked away from the academy, barely away of his surroundings. Thoughts ran through his head.

' _I worked so hard, but it was for NOTHING.'_

' _I put everything I had, but still failed.'_

' _I failed for a third time. Will Motoko throw me out, like my parents did?'_

' _How can I even think of facing Motoko? She'll be so disappointed, I'd rather she be angry at me!'_

A sign broke him out of his thoughts, by nearly breaking his nose. As he covered his nose to check for injuries, he saw that he was at the harbor.

' _Maybe a trip around the harbor will clear my mind up and let me look Mo-chan in the eyes? '_ Keitaro thought.

 _But things are never that easy._

Keitaro was leaning on the railings, watching the buildings on the shore as the boat traveled by them, one by one.

Then the boat turned away from the shore. Keitaro thought, ' _Maybe for our next date, we'll go on this. It seems pretty nice…'_

Keitaro waited for the boat to turn once more.

But as the buildings faded from view, Keitaro got a feeling that something was horribly wrong.

 _So I asked around and learned that I was not only on the wrong boat, but I had no way of calling the Hinata._

Keitaro grumbled as he searched through his backpack until he found his exam ticket. He glared at it as he muttered something under his breath. Looking at the water, he decided to throw it away, where no one could find it.

Alas, as soon as he threw it overboard, the boat shook, making him fall over the railing.

As he struggled to stay above water, he held onto his backpack for dear life.

' _After all, it held my photo album with my pictures of Mo-chan'. Keitaro said before giving Motoko a kiss._

After some time, he managed to come across a beach. After getting back onto land, he looked back at the water and thought, ' _I'm trapped on a deserted island, with no way to call Motoko…'_

" _I spent the next four days fishing, hunting, and looking at my photo album," Keitaro answered._

" _Kinda lame…" Sarah muttered._

" _I was thinking the same thing," Keitaro replied. "When I was in the middle of fishing when…"_

All of a sudden, Keitaro had an urge to run. As he began doing so, he looked back and saw that he narrowly avoided a van.

After Keitaro stopped, he watched as a man got out of the Van. They said, "Hahaha! I crashed again! It really is useless trying to drive in this jungle at night!"

Seta paused when he saw Keitaro.

" _So I told Seta what had happen as we ate dinner," Keitaro said. "It would be a few days before I could call the hinata, so I helped him with some archaeology. So when I-"_

' _I'll handle this part,' Motoko said._

Motoko wandered about the hinata in a worried daze. When Keitaro didn't appear, she grew worried.

When he still hadn't appeared by morning, her mind wandered as she tried to go through her exercises.

 _Keitaro was strapped to a table, stripped of all clothing. There was a window, but it showed outer space. An attractive woman with hair that changed color every few seconds walked into view. She was wearing a tiger-striped bikini and had horns on her head. As she climbed onto the table with a lusty leer, Keitaro cried out, "Save me, Motoko!"_

Motoko stopped and slapped herself. "That would never happen… could it?"

"Phone call, Motoko!" Su cried out as she stepped on to the balcony. When Motoko ran by her, Su grabbed onto Motoko's hakama and enjoyed the ride. When Motoko Reached the phone, it was laying near its cradle.

"Hello?" Motoko asked,hoping it was Keitaro.

"Motoko, I'm glad to hear you!" Keitaro answered.

"Keitaro!" Motoko tearfully answered. Then with Tsundere-ish fury, she said, "Where are you?!"

Keitaro then explained what had happened.

"...Keitaro, you really are are an idiot," Motoko said. When she heard Keitaro's groan of disappointment, she added, "You should have come come. I would have cheered you up. I definitely have some practice with that…"

After giving off a dumb giggle, Keitaro muttered, "Yeah…"

"But as it stands now, You'll need to be _punished_ ," Motoko said.

"In the fun way or the painful way?" Keitaro asked.

"It all depends on my mood when we meet," Motoko said before the phone made a loud buzzing sound that forced her her to lean away from the phone. When she leaned back, Motoko said, "Keitaro? Keitaro? KEITARO?!

"Hn? What gives? Did he call? Why say his first name?" Kitsune asked, making Motoko jump.

"I-uh he called an-and the call got cut off and-" Motoko stammered as she waved her arms about in a panic.

"Heh, Naru will be happy to hear that. Heck, we all will. Guess you in particular got so lonely, you remembered he had a first name," Kitsune said with a grin. "So why'd he leave?"

"He apparently failed his test, so he ran off and somehow got lost on a island in the pacific," Motoko explained.

Kitsune rubbed the back of her head as she muttered, "You serious?"

Motoko nodded.

"Sounds like one hell of a overreaction… maybe…" Kitsune muttered. "Hey. You think he really passed?"

Motoko thought about it for a moment before she said, "Possibly…"

"Where is Keitaro?" Naru asked as she suddenly appeared, making Motoko and Kitsune jump a little. "I need to go to him!"

"Don't you think it's more important to doublecheck if Keitaro passed or not? That way, you can decide to punish him for running away if he passed, but comfort him if he failed," Motoko said, her mouth feeling like ash as she said the last part.

Naru pondered Motoko's words for a moment before she sighed, "I guess..."

" _While they checked out Toudai and discovered he had passed, I made my way to the airport and went to the island," Motoko explained. Her grip tightened on Keitaro. "I'm… still a bit upset he ran off, so..."_

" _Hold that thought, Mokoto. Let me add this," Su said. "After my gag of writing Keitaro's name and my name on a paper and claiming we both passed, Naru found Keitaro's name. There was a bit of a panic when someone suggested it might be another person with the same name, but Shinobu remembered Keitaro's number."_

 _Shinobu looked away with a blush when Tsuruko looked at her._

" _Anyhoo… we returned back to the Hinata and looked for Keitaro's exam ticket. After tearing the house apart, we decided he had taken it with him," Su explained. "It was that time where Kitsune went to ask Motoko where Keitaro was..."_

"Alright, Motoko, where did… Motoko?" Kitsune asked as she looked around. "Anyone catch where Motoko went?"

After the others shook their head, Mutsumi said, "Ara, come to think of it, I never saw her at Toudai!"

Not wanting Naru to even ponder if Keitaro and Motoko had a relationship, Su quickly said, "Maybe she wants to punish him for skipping out on their training sessions?"

Kitsune and Naru had a little laugh before the former said, "She is that much of a stickler about anything with swords…"

" _So anything of interest happen during your trip to Urashima?" Tsuruko asked._

" _None… Maybe scaring a few perverts away when they came too close, but not much else," Motoko answered._

Keitaro looked up and his jaw dropped when he saw Motoko. she was dressed in some cutoff shorts and a tanktop.

As she ran towards him with her arms extended for a hug, so did he. When they closed in on each other, Motoko ducked down a little and rammed into Keitaro with a clothesline.

"You should have come to me,I would have comforted you!" Motoko cried out before launching a weak version of her family's techs, sending Keitaro into the air. When Keitaro landed on the ground, Motoko leapt up into the and landed her butt on Keitaro's stomach. As she began slapping him, she said, "Never run away from me! Never!"

" _Did that really happen?" Tsuruko asked, raising an eyebrow._

" _Yes. Motoko-chan is violent with her temper and love," Keitaro teased, getting a weak punch to the shoulder from Motoko._

" _Thankfully, the months of training, the days of manual labor, and the tan he got made it easier to forgive him," Motoko said. "I just wish he kept the hot look longer."_

When Motoko stopped slapping, she stood up put her hand out for Keitaro. As she helped him up, Motoko noted Keitaro's face was swelling quite a bit. All she could do was utter, "Whoops. Perhaps Seta has some ice?"

Keitaro nodded.

As they headed to wherever Seta was, Motoko said, "I can sympathize. I suspect that the old Motoko would have run off and declared herself to be a nun if she had encountered a loss like you have."

" _We spent the next few days either training, wandering the island, or helping Seta with his dig. There even was a duel or two with Seta. Nothing really worth going over in detail…" Motoko explained._

" _So how many times did the dork cop a feel?" Sarah asked with a smirk._

" _And how many times did you cop a feel on him?" Su asked._

" _...Moving on!" Motoko quickly said._

" _That many?" Tsuruko asked with a slight giggle._

Motoko and Keitaro had finished working with Seta for the day and were currently having a picnic, watching the sunset

"Keitaro, I've really enjoyed these last few days…" Motoko said before she leaned against Keitaro's shoulder. She glowered as she added, "It's a shame you failed to enter Toudai, though...

"There's always next year," Keitaro answered as he put her arm around her.

"I guess…" Motoko replied.

"Motoko…" Keitaro said in a tone that made her look at him. "I promise to not run away, like I did before. In fact… On the day that I get into Tokyo University, I will ask you to marry me."

Motoko gasped, even leaning away from him a little.

"I'm serious. Nothing will stop me from getting into Toudai," Keitaro said.

Motoko stared Keitaro in the eyes for a few moments before she said, "I'll hold you to that Keitaro. But I do hope you succeed."

The two then began to lean in for a kiss...

" _Sadly, Seta showed up before anything could happen, " Motoko explained. "He had snatched him away because some people found a few odd artifacts from a riverbed."_

 _Then with a glower, Motoko added, "I may have lost my temper and tried to attack Seta."_

" _There was a big of a chase. Motoko, Seta, and I fell into a little valley. While trying to escape, we discovered a hot springs and a really large ancient wall," Keitaro explained. "That made Seta's day."_

 _Tsuruko smiled as she thought to herself, 'Perhaps Keitaro might be able to handle himself in the magical world?'_

" _Then there was that trip that had us surrounded by snakes when we tried to dig a hole, Motoko said. "But we soon found an oasis."_

" _While they were on that, the rest of us were on the island and trying to find them!" Su explained. "We managed to find their oasis after a meeting with a whole lotta turtles!"_

" _While I was having a bit of a freakout, I found a shrine to turtles. Motoko rushed over to where I was, but she passed out when she saw the turtle statue," Keitaro explained. "Once Seta found us , we were able to get back to the airport. Motoko and I snuck off, while we waited for our airplane…"_

Keitaro held Motoko's hand as he lead her away from the Hinata group. It was easy, as Naru had gotten the others' attention when she ran for the bathroom.

"Keitaro, where are we going?" Motoko asked in a slightly hushed tone, once he let her hands go.

Keitaro looked around before he said, "Remember what I said a day or two ago? Well… "

Motoko's heart skipped a beat.

He sighed and looked back at her, "Look, Motoko, I'm honored to be your student and I know my training is incomplete… very incomplete. I'm honored to be your student for as long as you'd have me. Heck, I'd be honored if I wound up being your student until the day I die."

"Keitaro…" Motoko uttered as a blush began to appear on her face.

Keitaro whistpered, "Motoko, will you marry me?"

Motoko's response was to embrace him and kiss him. Keitaro was surprised for a moment, before he reciprocated.

" _And now I can wear my ring," Motoko said with a giggle."He bought the ring sometime after we returned, but I had to hide it."_

" _And on the plane, we shared a kiss when the others took a nap," Keitaro added. "Of course, we passed out soon after."_

-oOo-

Kitsune had managed to catch up with Naru as just as the latter had reached the top of the stairs. While Naru was looking away and appeared to not acknowledge Kitsune's presence, the fact she had waited was a sign that Naru did know that her friend was near.

"Damn it, Keitaro. Damn it, Motoko. Why'ja go and start something that'll do this to Naru?" Kitsune grumbled under her breath as she neared her friend. Once she had reached the top of the stairs, Kitsune stopped to catch her breath. "No matter…. *gasp*I gotta work out more *gasp*…. No matter what happens, Naru, I'm gonna be-"

Kitsune found herself interrupted by a loud cry of 'WHAT?!" coming from downstairs. Tears were starting to fall from Naru's eyes. She seemed conflicted about what to do. Kitsune frowned as she put her hand on Naru's shoulder, getting the agitated girl's attention.

Fearing what Naru could do in such an emotional state, Kitsune said, "Naru, like I was-"

Naru broke away and ran downstairs, making the self-proclaimed fox mutter an angry, "Damn it!", she followed after her friend.

When she reached the living room, Kitsune had managed to hear Naru angrily ask, "What happened?"

"We announced our engagement," Keitaro said with a smile as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It was at Pararakelse, if you were wondering," Motoko continued as she rested her head against Keitaro shoulder.

While surprised herself, Kitsune looked around at everyone else's reaction. Both Su and Sarah had a look of surprise that occurred when dealt with something slightly unexpected. Shinobu and Naru shared similar looked of tearful shock. Tsuruko appeared unphased, but her raised eyebrows betrayed how surprised she was. Kitsune rubbed the side of her head as she angrily thought, ' _This day gets better and better, don't it?'_

"Why keep it all a secret? Don't you trust any of us?" Kitsune spat out, surprising everyone else again.

"Should I go get Tsuruko a shotgun to help perform a marriage?" Su asked, making Sarah giggle a little bit.

Naru slowly turned to face Keitaro, as she pointed a shaking finger she said, "You got Motoko pregnant!?"

"We haven't slept together! We barely… made it..." Keitaro loudly said, trailing off quietly near the end. A very bright red blush came over him as he finished, "Se...cond... base."

At the same time Keitaro spoke, a flustered Motoko had yelled "We have not done anything of the sort, Narusagawa! I am still a maiden of the Aoyama clan!"

Seeing that a potentially nasty fight was brewing, Tsuruko said, "Now now, is this the way to greet a newly engaged couple? It seems like this is a surprise to more than just myself, but i'm sure the couple has an explanation for what has been going on.

While I'm overjoyed by this news, may I request a brief break before getting into said story? Motoko, why don't you and Keitaro head to the baths for a bit, I'll join you in a few minutes after having a brief chat with your friends."

The couple nodded before they left the room. As soon as they left, Tsuruko asked, "It is quite interesting that a little less than half of you knew that they were dating, but not a single one knew that they were engaged."

"I can't believe they'd hide something like that from us! I thought we were friends!" Kitsune spat.

Su let out an amused huff, getting the other's attention. She asked, "I thought that we allow each other to have secrets as a sign that we are friends. Am I wrong about that?"

The others went a bit silent. Naru, Kitsune, and Shinobu each had problems with their family. Kitsune in particular had sometimes forgotten she had a mother, a father and a brother. Pressing any issues or trying to uncover any secrets the others might have would get others to react in kind.

"But let's leave the couple alone for now. Let's focus on helping each other. Naru, Shinobu, you're practically twins with how you're reacting. Talking about it might help," Su said as she crawled backwards under the coffee table, so that her upper half was only shown.

Both Naru and Shinobu were surprised that the other was starting to cry. Naru tried to say something, but was quickly stammering. Shinobu looked towards the ground and looked forlorn.

"That crush you have on Keitaro now feels like a big old weight, doesn't it, Shinobu?" Kitsune said in a sad, yet understanding way as she recalled her crush on Seta. The young chef slightly nodded. Kitsune was about to go and comfort the girl when she recalled who else had a crush on Seta. ' _Shit.'_

As Kitsune looked at Naru, the latter had crossed her arms and was looking away from everyone. Before Kitsune could do anything, Tsuruko asked, "What about you, Naru? What do you feel about Keitaro and Motoko's relationship?"

Inwardly, Kitsune prayed that Naru would have some sense of self-control.

While still looking away, Naru "What do I feel? What do I feel? Betrayed! Keitaro took me on da… da… outings at some cheap beefbowl place and went to some picture booth! If he really was committed to an engagement to-"

"I remember you telling me something about that. It occurred before they even starting dating," Kitsune said.

"And if it was an outing and not a date, then he wasn't cheating on Motoko," Su said as she stared up at Naru.

On the couch, Sarah was idly kicking her legs as she said, "And the lush did say the dork and Motoko weren't dating at the time."

"Hn," Tsuruko muttered. ' _So Naru really does have feelings for Urashima. But her anger is a worrisome and curious thing. Does she really feel betrayed? Or is it because anger feels safe to her?'_

"What?" Naru asked as she snapped her head towards Tsuruko.

"I apologize for being so blunt, but getting angry at my sister and Urashima is pointless. They only did what their hearts desired them to. From what I can tell, you either blame yourself for not acting or will do so later. I will tell you now that blaming yourself or others will not change anything," Tsuruko explained as she stood up and began to head over to Naru.

Naru glared at her and let out a loud "HN!" before she closed her eyes, turned around, and began to walk away. After a few moments, she felt something was off and opened her eyes.

She was still in the living room. Naru stopped and looked back. A seemingly oblivious Tsuruko was holding onto the back of Naru's shirt and the event seemed to put a slight smile on everyone's faces. Naru began to blush from embarrassment.

"As I was saying, all you can do is let time mend your heart and move on," Tsuruko said before she let go of Naru's shirt.

"That was rather blunt…" Kitsune muttered under her breath. At that point, Naru's stomach growled.

Shinobu's eyes sparked when she heard the noise. "Ah! I'm late! I was supposed to start dinner a few minutes ago!"

As she ran off, Tsuruko thought she heard a door open. Su cupped one of hers ears for a moment before she loudly said, "Someone's at the door and they're coming in!"

"Ara! Hello, Su!" Mutsumi's voice called back. Within a few moments, Mutsumi and Haruka appeared.

"Huh… So you're here, Tsuruko. What gives?" Haruka asked as she crossed her arms.

"I came by to visit my sister. However, she and Urashima have been telling us a few events that they went through," Tsuruko replied, getting Haruka to raise an eyebrow.

Haruka looked around and noticed everyone's expressions. She was concerned about Naru's mix of sadness and rage, as well as Kitsune being split between concern for Naru and anger directed towards a doorway. "So what events have Keitaro and Motoko been talking about?"

"They're getting hitched!" Su cheerfully said.

"Oh," Haruka said, not noticing what Su had said. Of course, a moment later, she uttered, "Wait, WHAT?! When?"

At the same time, Mutsumi let out, "Ara?" before she began to wobble. Luckily, Tsuruko had rushed over and caught the girl just as she began to fall over.

"Dunno when the marriage will be! But we're sure there's no extenuating circumstances!" Su answered.

"Yup. You're better off asking Motoko about it. Keitaro would mis-say something that'll imply otherwise, like always," Sarah said as she reached for another cookie. "Also, Sleeping beauty is Mutsumi Otohime, part of Naru and Keitaro's study group."

As Tsuruko placed Mutsumi on the couch, she took the time to look the Okinawan over, as well as giving Kitsune and Naru a quick look. ' _So Motoko managed to win Keitaro over from attractive women such as Ms. Konno, Narusegawa, and Otohime? I didn't expect her to deal with such beauties. I will have to congratulate her later.'_

"Does Ms. Otohime have any medical conditions?" Tsuruko asked as she felt for Mutsumi's pulse.

"Aside from fainting at a moment's notice? Not really. She'll wake up in a minute or two," Haruka said. She seemed to have calmed down, but the way the cigarette twitched betrayed that what she heard about Keitaro and Motoko was bothering her.

Tsuruko looked at Kitsune, who shrugged. However, Mutsumi sat up straight and muttered, "Ara… I had such an odd dream."

"It wasn't a dream… Keitaro really did get engaged with Motoko…" Naru said under her breath in a dark tone.

Mutsumi's seemingly pleasantly vacant expression was replaced by one of shock for a few moments. Naru felt somehow guilty upon seeing Mutsumi during it. Before Naru could conjure up the will to go over and try to comfort her friend, Mutsumi said, " I guess that's why he never seemed that receptive to anyone's advances…"

"I... I... forgot that you... felt that way for him..." Naru muttered in a flat tone as she hugged herself a little.

Mutsumi looked at her with a depressed version of her typical absent-minded cheerfulness. "Naru, the only one here who hasn't tried flirting with Keitaro for any reason is Haruka."

Mutsumi gestured at Tsuruko and said, "I guess we should have worried a bit when Motoko here-"

"I am not my younger sister. I am Tsuruko Aoyama," Tsuruko answered. "Now that I see you're safe, I'll go check on my sister and Urashima."

As Tsuruko left the room, Mutsumi looked towards Naru. After the two stared at each other for a few moments, Mutsumi asked, "How did you handle hearing the news?"

Naru took a step back as her expression seemed to shift a bit to… either surprise or shock. It was hard to discern. After taking another step back, Naru ran out towards the stairs and to her room.

After sighing, Kitsune looked over at Mutsumi and said, "I'll answer for her. Not well."

Kitsune looked towards the stairs and said, "I'll go check on her and make sure that she doesn't do anything too stupid."

Mutsumi looked at the ground and muttered, "Ara…"

A small sad smile appeared on the turtle princess as she thought, _'If things had been different, and he had responded to me and Naru, would I have taken him for myself or given him up for my friend?'_

-oOo-

Keitaro and Motoko were sitting by the hot springs. Motoko had her legs in the water and Keitaro was merely sitting by her. His cast was wrapped in a garbage bag. Keitaro was about to speak when he heard Motoko sigh.

"I wish I had spoken to my sister more. I might have been able to know if she was coming here," Motoko said, a slight sad tone was in her voice. "Alas, now she's here and our relationship is out in the open."

"Hey, it's not that bad. I think she supports us!" Keitaro said, hoping to cheer her up.

"The only reason she's even here is probably to take me back to back to Kyoko to take care of the school!" Motoko said before she turned around and hugged Keitaro. With tears starting to form in her eyes, she said, "I don't want to leave you!"

As he hugged her back, Keitaro said, "I'll do whatever I can to help you stay here. I promise."

Motoko leaned away from Keitaro to look him in the eyes. she was about to tell him how much of an impossibility it was, but she was awestruck by how confident he looked. A slight smirk appeared on her face. ' _I might not have long to be here. I might as well enjoy what time I have left.'_

Both froze when they heard Tsuruko's voice.

"Oh my! Have I come here at the wrong time?"

-oOoOoOo-

Notes from HotelKatz: This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of the fanfiction forum. They are also a planner of this fic.

The Pararakelse island part was actually written after the rest of the chapter was written.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

"Oh my! Have I come here at a bad time?" Tsuruko's voice asked.

Both Motoko and Keitaro slowly turned their heads to look at Tsuruko, who had her robe undone and was wearing fundoshi. She still had her chest wrappings on. Motoko looked at Keitaro and saw that he was staring at Tsuruko and his mouth open in a way that annoyed her.

So she quickly covered his eyes with her hands and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how my Imouto-chan and her fiance were doing. Of course, if you were engaging in certain activities, then I would have left…" Tsuruko answered as she covered her mouth with her robe-covered hand. "And later, I would make sure that Urashima takes responsibility."

While both Keitaro and Motoko blushed, the latter was glared at her sister. Tsuruko let out an amused huff before she said, "But since I arrived before anything could happen, I can go ahead and ask some questions then."

"Why now? Why not later?" Motoko spat.

Keitaro was thinking to himself in something of a chant, ' _Don't do anything that might anger Motoko or her sister. Don't think of anything that'll make Motoko believe that I'm perving on her sister.'_

"I believe your fellow tenants would spy on us," Tsuruko replied in a matter-of-fact tone. That somehow made Motoko calm down, but sigh in an annoyed tone as she nodded.

"Keitaro, just keep your eyes closed," Motoko whispered to her boyfriend.

"Yes'm," Keitaro answered before Motoko removed her hands from his head.

With her mouth still covered, Tsuruko asked, "So what was the oddest place you made out at?"

"Ane-ue!" Motoko yelled as she and Keitaro blushed some more. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm curious," Tsuruko asked, like there wasn't an intent to embarrass her sister.

As Motoko began to sputter in anger and embarrassment, Keitaro felt Tsuruko's gaze fall on him. "Mr. Urashima, can you answer the question."

"Well, there was that cospla-" Keitaro began to say before Motoko covered his mouth.

"He has no idea! His memory is fuzzy at times," Motoko shouted as she let of of Keitaro's mouth. Seeing a naughty twinkle appear in Tsuruko's eyes, Motoko quickly said, "Naru hits him a lot and Su fires Rockets at him at a moment's notice!"

After making a small number of annoyed 'tch' noises, Tsuruko said, "Oh, Motoko. What kind of girlfriend allows other women to attack her boyfriend? Is that some weird form of S&M?"

"TSURUKO!" Both Motoko and Keitaro yelled.

"It isn't like that!" Motoko said.

"I'm just a natural klutz!" Keitaro quickly answered.

"Oh well. Next question. Mr. Urashima, how much is Motoko into cosplay?" Tsuruko asked.

"Quite a bit," Keitaro said before Motoko slapped his shoulder. "What? She asked me a question!"

"Things like that should be kept a secret between us," Motoko muttered as she looked away from Keitaro. Tsuruko giggled a little bit more before she put down her arm and began to walk towards the couple.

"Is it alright if I enter the hot springs?" Tsuruko asked.

"Only if Keitaro keep his eyes closed…" Motoko growled before she childishly pouted.

"Perhaps you should give him your towel to cover his eyes?" Tsuruko asked as she entered the hot spring. "Oh my… It has been a long time since I've been to such a nice hot spring…"

"Thanks. I do my best to keep the place nice and clean," Keitaro replied with pride in his voice.

"Oh… Well, now I'm tempted to give my blessing for your union for merely the hot spring!" Tsuruko said.

"You can't be that shallow, Ane-ue…" Motoko muttered as she turned to look at her sister. Tsuruko chuckled in response.

"I think she's joking, Motoko…" Keitaro said as he began to turn around. "I'm turning around, so I can open my eyes."

"As for my next question…" Tsuruko said before she was was interrupted.

"Do not dare to ask if we are… if we… ARGH!" Motoko uttered, before rubbed the sides of her head in anger.

"There is no need. While I do not know Mr. Urashima well enough to tell, I do know my Imouto-chan enough to know if she took that step to adulthood or not," Tsuruko replied. "But I am pleased to know that you are both interested in each other physically."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't leave the hot springs, if all you're here for is to tease me and Keitaro!'" Motoko loudly said with a blush as she stood up.

"Oh my! Motoko must trust her fiance so much, that she's willing to leave him alone with me!" Tsuruko said with a few giggles. Then in a not-so-humorous tone, she added, "And do not think of attacking me, as you know how strong my word is at the Shinmei-ryu, Imouto-chan."

"I know you are Motoko's sister, but do not speak to her like that," Keitaro said, sounding like he would try his best to defend Motoko. Tsuruko studied him for a moment before she decided that he would actually do so.

"Our family deals with a wide variety of things that are strange and unusual at best, and outright terrifying and murderous at worst," Tsuruko began. "I am merely trying to have some fun as I try to find some loopholes to what I must do."

Keitaro turned around and put his arm around Motoko's legs as he asked, "What are you talking about?"

The slight waver in his voice showed that he remembered what Motoko had told him mere minutes ago.

"Anue-ue… Please don't…" Motoko muttered as she froze in place, barely acknowledged that Keitaro was looking at her sister.

"I don't know if you are aware of this, but there is a world beyond the life that normal people know about. If you aren't able to handle it, I must separate you and Motoko for your own good, Mr. Urashima," Tsuruko explained.

"Motoko?" Keitaro asked as he looked up. To his surprise and concern, Motoko was terrified.

"She cannot tell you until you are ready," Tsuruko said. "And I cannot tell you, either. I can test yours and Motoko's skills, but I am uncertain how yet. I think I will sleep on it."

"No matter what happens, I will protect and take care of Motoko in any way I can!" Keitaro declared as he glared at Tsuruko.

"Have you encountered anything unusual in your life, Urashima?" Tsuruko asked. "Anything, even the smallest instance of something that doesn't fit?"

Keitaro looked off to the side and thought for a few moments. "Well... I guess my sister's hobby might count."

"And that might be?" Tsuruko asked, a slight tone of curiosity in her tone.

"Kanako, my sister, is pretty good at disguises, even somehow able to wear masks that don't quite fit her head shape because they're too small to wear. It's almost like she's able to reconfigure herself to wear them. If I had to describe it in only a few words, Kanao is as good of a ninja as Motoko is as good of as a samurai," Keitaro answered as he looked at the elder Aoyama. "There's also the weird stories granny likes to tell sometimes. And maybe the training I went through... Kinda wish I had continued it now..."

Her response was an unenthusiastic "Hn."

"What? Does that not count?" Keitaro asked, getting a little bit upset at a perceived insult.

"It might, but I'll have to doublecheck with a few people..." Tsuruko said. "But enough serious chat. Let's enjoy the hot springs for now."

-oOo-

The rest of the time in the hot springs was a bit tense, but rather uneventful. Tsuruko was quiet and pondered how to handle the situation of Motoko and Keitaro"s relationship. Motoko stayed close to Keitaro, but had undone her towel to free her breasts before she hugged Keitaro's arms. Keitaro somewhat enjoyed the attention he was getting from Motoko, but was trying not to look at Tsuruko due to the fact that only her hair and chest wrappings were covering up her breasts. It didn't help matters when Motoko grew jealous enough that she bumped into Keitaro to get his attention and then began to shed her towel. Both sistered enjoyed how he blushed and panicked as he tried to avoid looking at them

After the three left the hot springs and began to get dressed, Motoko began to think to herself.

 _'Should I stay by Keitaro's side or try to learn what challenge Ane-ue is going to have us face? The later might give me more time to prepare, but pressing too hard might make Ane-ue decide to simply make me go back home...'_ Motoko thought as she binded her chest. _'and spending time with Keitaro might make her decide that I've gotten soft and thus be forced to go through more training at home...'_

Her shoulders slumped as she looked at the floor. _'There is no easy victory in this...'_

"Imouto-chan?" Tsuruko asked as she finished putting on her hakama.

"I'm... I'm going to go see Keitaro!" Motoko said before she haphazardly put on her clothes and quickly left the changing room.

A part of Tsuruko wanted to go comfort Motoko. Deciding to indulge that urge, Tsuruko walked over to the door. The moment she reached the door, she heard someone.

"Motoko? is everything-" Keitaro's voice asked before Tsuruko heard the sounds of what she thought was Motoko glomping Keitaro.

"Keitaro, I have no idea how long we have together. but-" Motoko's voice said in a tone close to crying. After a brief pause, she asked in an annoyed tone, "Why are your arms on my bare back?"

"I didn't. I thought you were slipping off your clothes?" Keitaro's voice asked back.

A few more seconds later. Motoko let out "Kyah! Don't look!"

Tsuruko then heard the sounds of two sets of feet running away. She then smiled and shook her head as she thought, _'Motoko's improved. I wonder how long ago would she have punished Urashima for her clothes falling off because she didn't quite put them on correctly?'_

-oOo-

Sometime later in his room, Keitaro was sitting at the small table and was looking around while his mind wandered. He was currently wondering how to explain how he and Motoko dealt with being fiances in secret during the first few weeks.

Then his eyes came across his photo album. He smiled as he reached over and picked it up. As he returned to his seat, he began to flip through it. Keitaro couldn't help but chuckle in a warm manner as he went through the slow progression of pictures. In the beginning of their relationship, the pictures of Motoko were of her blushing in an embarrassed manner while trying to look like a stern samurai. As more pictures were being taken, she relaxed and smiled more, even wearing something other than her Hakama.

The most recent pictures has her smiling, laughing, and even rubbing her cheek against his while she had her hands give a victory sign. When she was blushing in those, it was very rarely because she was embarrassed. Once it was because they decided to make out as the picture was being taken. Motoko decided to keep that picture in her private collection, though. No amount of begging could change her mind.

"Maybe when dinner is dying down, I oughta let the others see the latest pictures…" Keitaro muttered to himself.

-oOoOoOo-

Notes from HotelKatz :This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of . They are also the planner of this fic.

A huge round of thanks to chronodekar and everybody else at TheFanfictionForums for their suggestions.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

As everybody, save for Kitsune and Naru, headed towards the dining table, Shinobu asked,"Should we wait for Kitsune and Naru? Or should someone go and ask them if they're coming to eat?"

"Hey, I say put some aside for them and leave it at that. I'm starving!" Sarah answered as she crossed her arms. She then noticed the photo album Keitaro was carrying. "Whatcha bringing that for, Dork-meister?"

Patting the photo album, he said, "Just felt like telling a few more stories. This time with a few pictures for context, Sarah."

"Then it might not be a good idea to get Kitsune and Naru," Shinobu muttered.

"That might be a bad idea. Ms. Narusegawa might be feeling that she is being replaced by my sister. Leaving her alone might convince her of it," Tsuruko said as she suddenly appeared. "On the other hand, forcing her would be pouring salt into the wound. If no one volunteers, I-"

"I will. I can sorta sympathize with Naru, because of… Well, you don't need to know. If she tries anything, I know how to calm her down," Haruka called out from the stairs.

"How long have you been here?" Keitaro asked as Tsuruko studied Haruka.

"Long enough to see problems," Haruka answered before she went up the stairs.

"Soooo….. think she'll play nice cop or bad cop to get them down?" Sarah asked.

"Hopefully the more peaceful one. Forcing them will only make their tempers worse…" Keitaro answered, still looking up the stairs. After looking at the others, he asked, "Shall we wait at the table?"

The others nodded, allowing Keitaro to add, "Shinobu, I'll help you with dinner."

"As will I!" Motoko quickly said, blushing a little. Keitaro put the album on a stand in the dining room as Motoko added, "After all, you still have your casts on, Urashima!"

"That's really sweet of you, Motoko-chan, but they aren't that much in the way," Keitaro answered.

"I insist!" Motoko said, poking Keitaro in the chest.

Tsuruko smiled and thought, ' _Even after all they've told us, Motoko-chan is still jealous of the other girls. How cute.'_

As Shinobu, Motoko, and Keitaro went into the kitchen to finish setting up supper, Tsuruko and the younger girls waited at the table. A few times, Sarah got a mischievous grin on her face, but Tsuruko was able to ward it off by asking her to wait until after dinner and then Sarah would have Tsuruko's help with any pranks.

-o-

When the kitchen trio was bringing out the food, Haruka was leading down Naru and Kitsune.

"Ah, excellent timing," Haruka said as supper was being put on the table.

Naru noticed the album that Keitaro had nearby and asked, "What's that doing here?"

"I thought looking though it might be a good idea during supper," Keitaro said as he began to place plates on the table.

"I see... " Naru muttered. An idea hit her. "Keitaro, can I help with plates?"

Before Keitaro could answer, Motoko appeared, snatched the plates away and said, "There is no need. Urashima, I said I would put the plates down."

"Motoko, you-"Naru began.

"He still has his casts on and I do not wish to risk any dishes being broken," Motoko quickly said before she leveled a glare at Keitaro. "So sit down, Urashima. Now."

"Uh… right, right…"Keitaro muttered as he did so, feeling a bit ashamed of himself.

When she put Keitaro's plate down, Motoko made sure to rub her bosom against his back as she whispered, "I'll apologize later, Keitaro…"

Naru didn't like how Keitaro blushed.

Seeing that Naru was starting to have signs that she was thinking about running back to her room again, Kitsune grabbed the album and began to flip through it. By the time she found a picture, food was already on the table.

"So what's the story with that?" kitsune asked as she pointed a a photo of Keitaro and Motoko on an inner tube, made for couples.

In the picture' Motoko was wearing a White two-piece swimsuit and looked liked she was trying not to panic. Keitaro was wearing blue swim trunks, also trying not to panic and was blushing. There was a photobooth 4-pictures row of them. In one picture, they were hugging each other. In the next, Motoko had a blushing Keitaro in a headlock. The third was her kissing him on the cheek, and the final was her riding on his back and both were smiling.

"We went to a park and had fun. I think we dodged some of Motoko's fangirls… Didn't we?" Keitaro said before he looked at Motoko.

"No, it was some other schoolgirls out to the pool. I thought it was Naru and someone she told us about," Motoko answered.

"And while you were hiding, Did the dork ruin your swimsuit?" Sarah asked.

Motoko blushed and quickly covered Keitaro's mouth. "I do not wish to admit it, but yes. I had brought a blue one-piece that Keitaro somehow ripped by accident when I pulled him behind some pillars to hide us."

"Ooh! I would've guessed a romantic rendezvous gone a bit too far, if you asked me," Kitsune cooed.

"We're… not that far in our relationship…" Keitaro said, looking away. Motoko shot him a glare,warning him to shut up.

"Well, when you do get to it, I got a hot little maid uniform for Motoko. The slightest thing will give you a nice upskirt shot, Keitaro!" Kitsune teased. Naru grimacing made Kitsune regret her words.

"Kitsune, cease your teasing at once," Motoko sternly said, as both she and Keitaro were both blushing.

"Alright, alright… don't get your knickers in a twist," Kitsune muttered as a particular set of photos caught her eye. "Huh…"

"Spot something?" Keitaro asked.

"The Karaoke ones… It's weird to see Motoko so…. So… that with you!" Kitsune replied, gesturing to the photos. Keitaro frowned out of sadness, While Motoko merely smiled a little and nodded.

' _The old me would never even be able to contemplate something like this,'_ Motoko thought.

In the photos, both Keitaro and Motoko were wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts. The room that a few photos were in was a Karaoke room. In one, Motoko was obviously singing, and judging by her smile, enjoying the encouragement she was getting from keitaro. In the next photo, she was trying to pose as she sang. it was a mix of cute and sexy.

In another photo, Keitaro was the one to sing. Both Naru and Shinobu had a brief thought, wishing that they were in Motoko's place, as Keitaro seemed confident in it.

"So what song did he sing in this one?" Kitsune asked as she pointed at it. With a smirk, she added, "Because I kinda want to play it and see more of this Keitaro…"

"My apologies, but that will remain a secret," Motoko answered with a sneaky smile.

' _Ah! Either it's an embarrassing one that I have to use on him or it's some sappy one that she decided will be their love song…'_ Kitsune thought. ' _Now I have to find out!'_

"Well, that's a cute one…" Tsuruko said as she gestured to the sticker photo. In that one, Musical notes and microphones decorated the border. As for the photo itself, Keitaro and Motoko were holding microphones and had their arms intertwined, so that they were seemingly singing into each others' microphones.

"It… was Urashima's idea. He thought it would be… cute," Motoko explained, blushing more and more with each word

"Well, he was right. The two of you do look cute in it," Haruka said, giving Keitaro a rare grin.

' _It'd be cuter if it were Naru with him…'_ Kitsune thought before spotted a photo that made her give off an annoyed click.

This photo was an interesting one. Keitaro was wearing a white shirt and blue pants, While Motoko was wearing a blue skirt, a white blouse, and a black sleeveless vest. Curiously, she was smiling while holding a plushy version of some samurai-ish cat.

"What's this one? Something from a bizarro-universe?" Kitsune asked, trying to hide her growing irritation.

"No, we had left a movie theater and decided to go to an arcade. Urashima decided to try his hand at one of the claw games and win me something. It took a few tries, but he achieved his task," Motoko answered with a smile as she remembered that day.

"So why haven't we seen the little toy whenever we were in your room?" Naru asked, still too drained to rouse any anger.

"Where I keep my belongings in my room is no one's business, except mine," Motoko quickly said, getting the tiniest bit of angry.

Before anyone could say anything, Haruka added as she turned a page in the album, "And I agree, Motoko. So let's find another photo to galk over, instead of starting an argument more stupid than those two guys Keitaro hangs out with."

The next page had photos that all had the same theme of being taken at an amusement park. Some were taken in front of various rides. One or two had been taken while on a roller coaster. There was even one where Motoko was licking some ice cream. All had another common link; Motoko was smiling, but her body language hinted that she was still shy about dating Keitaro in public.

"How come you didn't take us?" Su asked Motoko, tearing up comically.

"It was only a few days before you and Sarah, Su. Besides, it was also our first date," Keitaro answered as he ruffled Su's hair. "I got the tickets from some friends and asked Motoko out after one of our training sessions."

Looking over at Motoko, Tsuruko asked, "And her reaction when you asked her?"

"Cute stuttering denial for a while, then a quick acceptance," Keitaro answered, getting a light tap from from a blushing Motoko.

' _Why didn't he ever take me out like this?'_ Naru thought with a frown. Another thought came to her. ' _Probably when I would have woman'ed up and given him a chance without instantly judging him…'_

She lowered her head and thought, ' _Sometimes, I really hate me…'_

The first photo on the page after had been taken at the photo booth near the aquarium, due to the fish stickers. Motoko had her arm around Keitaro and had her hand making a victory sign

"So what happened there?" Tsuruko asked as she looked at the couple.

"We learned about aquatic life and had a pleasant time with how peaceful it was…." Motoko answered with a smile. When she frowned, she added, "Until we had to get the demon out of there…"

"Tama was given to me by Mutsumi. He's a hot springs turtle," Keitaro explained. "Luckily, Seta was nearby and took Tama home for me."

"So how'd you get Motoko all happy afterwards? Sweet-talk her a little and then make out with her a little?" Kitsune teased. When the couple blushed and looked away, Kitsune uttered, "Heh… Wish I was just lucky picking horses…"

Shinobu uttered a cute, yet annoyed pout before she said,"So that's where they went! I thought Su ate all that food!"

"What photo are you looking at?" Keitaro asked. Shinobu pointed at a photo where Keitaro had taken of himself and Motoko. They were wearing jackets more suited to fall weather. In the background was a blanket and a large basket. There was even some half-eaten food on a couple of the plates. Keitaro scratched his head as he muttered, "Oh, that. Well...

"So Motoko made the food or did she have you do it at swordpoint?" Kitsune asked, getting a glare from Motoko.

"I did it willingly and before anyone was up. I thought Motoko was overworking herself for a tournament and needed a break. So I begged her to go on a picnic with me," Keitaro Explained before Motoko could speak.

"Wasn't it too cold to be outside?" Kitsune asked. "I'm freezing, just looking at the pictures!"

"Some of us actually do go outside enough to get used to the colder weather, Kitsune," Motoko muttered.

"Eh, over-rated. Gotta have a good reason for me to go out into the cold, or it's hibernation time for this girl," Kitsune retorted, pointing her thumb at herself.

Shinobu made a slight whine after she turned the page. "Auoh…"

Looking at the album, Keitaro spotted the picture that now had the Hinata chef's attention. "Ah, the skating one. Fun times, that winter…"

The two pages had photos taken at winter, at some place where people ice-skate. Both Keitaro and Motoko were wearing winter clothes, only having their faces uncovered. In a good deal of them, either Motoko or Keitaro were waving at the camera as they skated on the ice, though Keitaro sometimes looked like he was about to trip in mere last few pictures were of them standing next to each other, each about to kiss. All of those photos were of a couple very much in love.

"Ah, yes. We never could take a decent photo of us kissing each other. Either the timer was somehow shut off, was too short or too long, or some brat hit the camera with a snowball," Motoko muttered.

"There's always next winter, Motoko," Keitaro said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, yes… I know, it's just… It was a nearly perfect day that time, until the snowball fight," Motoko muttered.

-oOoOoOo-

Notes from HotelKatz :This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of TheFanfictionForums . They are also the planner of this fic.

A huge round of thanks to chronodekar and everybody else at TheFanfictionForums for their suggestions.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

"I do have to ask. Are you going to make your fiancee pay rent?" Tsuruko asked. "It seems a tad inappropriate."

"Y'know, I asked Motoko about that. I wanted to not have her to pay anymore, but she insisted," Keitaro answered.

"So what does one do when their fiancee is a tenant? I decided to continue paying until final housing is decided upon," Motoko added. "And that will occur when I am accepted into college myself."

"I take it that you're also holding off on such things like how your married life, the possibility of children, and of course, the issue about your inheritance," Tsuruko replied. Motoko nervously nodded.

' _That's right. I still have to tell Granny Hina that I'm engaged. I bet she'll tease me about everything about it,'_ Keitaro thought. For a moment, Keitaro thought he heard a small faroff cry of despair. He shrugged it off as he thought, ' _I bet Kanako will be happy for me.'_

"Such things are best left to discuss when we are ready," Motoko said with a twitch of nervousness in her voice. "At the moment, there is nothing substantial, other than that we will go through an engagement ceremony."

"So fiancees could live here free? What if I became your mistress?" Kitsune asked, looking at the couple. When Motoko glared at her, Kitsune merely said, "Wasn't asking Keitaro, Honey. I was asking _you._ '

When Kitsune blew her a kiss, Motoko stammered, "I-I-I'm not interested in women like that! Besides I only belong to Keitaro and he belongs to me!"

Kitsune laughed,"Still too easy to wind up!"

She stopped laughing when a foot was rubbing her leg in a seductive manner. Still in a bit of a good mood, Kitsune asked, "Alright, whose doing that to me?"

"It has been awhile since I shared my bed with a woman and I thought your offer was genuine, Konno-san," Tsuruko answered.

"Since you're Motoko's sister, I might be a bit too much you, Tsuruko-San. I like to get wild and naughty," Kitsune said back, using her other foot to rub against Tsuruko's leg.

"Does this mean that if I weren't, I could take you up on your offer?" Tsuruko asked. There didn't seem to be any hint of a bluff in Tsuruko's eyes.

As she slightly shook her head, an unsure Kitsune removed her legs away from Tsuruko's foot and said, "Sorry, I only like to tease. Besides, sisters of my friends are off limits. Besides, you're probably dating a swordsman and I have no intent of seeing if they're the jealous type."

"Pity. Ah well, we-" Tsuruko said before getting interrupted.

"Onee-san! Are you serious!?" Motoko asked, somewhat standing up in a panic.

"Imouto, the best way to deal with someone like Konno-san is to either ignore them or turn the tables on them," Tsuruko answered.

"Ahm, so you were bluffing!" Kitsune confidently said, gesturing towards Tsuruko.

"Can you be absolutely certain about that?" Tsuruko asked, giving Kitsune the bedroom eyes.

A slightly wary Kitsune answered, "Yeah! ...kinda."

"There is more than one way of turning the tables," Tsuruko replied.

Motoko turned towards Keitaro and said, "Do something!"

However, she noticed that he was blushing and focused on Tsuruko. Motoko roughly pinched his cheek and asked in a cold tone, "Are you fantasizing about my sister, Keitaro?"

"N-no! I was using her to judge how much more beautiful you were going to get!" Keitaro answered.

Motoko blushed a little. It was interrupted when Kitsune said, "Nice save, Keitaro!"

Tsuruko giggled a little behind her hand. "So… back to the matter at hand. When and exactly will the marriage take place? Will I or anyone else from the Aoyama family have to make any reservations at any nearby hotels? Or will we be able to stay here?"

"Ah... Well, I guess it depends on how many will be coming," Keitaro answered. "It's too early to make any plans, but If there isn't a whole lot coming in, I think we'd be able to let you stay."

"Of course, we would have to set up a schedule for the hot springs," Motoko added.

"That is, if you hold it here. The Shinmei-Ryu School does have more room for both guests and the ceremony," Tsuruko said. With a slight smile, she said, "I do believe we still have mother's wedding kimono for you to wear, Motoko. Unless Urashima has one for you to wear or if you decide to purchase a brand new one or wear a western-style one?"

"We still have to decide, but it's good that you reminded us of that, Onee-san" Motoko sent a flat look towards Kitsune as she said, "And this means no pranks if we hold the wedding here, like telling men that the hot springs schedule has been changed, Kitsune."

"Aw, c'mon! It was just a joke!" Kitsune replied, holding up her hands in a placating manner.

"One that has been repeated too many times," Motoko spat out.

"The fact you used it a few times as justification to attack Keitaro kinda makes you look like a big old hypocrite," Kitsune retorted. Naru felt like a major weight that had been labeled 'guilt' had fallen onto her head.

"Kitsune, Motoko-chan, Stop it now," Keitaro said, his voice brooking no argument. The serious look on his face made Kitsune annoyed that Naru pushed him away into Motoko's arms. She was willing to playfully flirt with him if he was with Naru, as she'd only yell. Kitsune had no idea if Motoko had the same restraint or was willing to use a sword on her, so until she knew for sure, the self-proclaimed fox planned on playing it safe.

"Hey, sorry for taking it out on Motoko, but I'm still a bit annoyed at how you two lovebirds were able to hide your relationship under my nose. I'm the self-proclaimed fox of Hinata, for crying out loud!" Kitsune grumbled, not noticing how Naru looked pained when she referred to the couple. "Not only that, but everyone under this roof share everything with each other!

"Looks like I outfoxed the fox, then," Motoko smugly said. When Kitsuen shot her a glare, Motoko retorted, "If we share _everything_ with each other, the care to share why you came here? Perhaps tell us a bit about your family?"

Kitsune looked a tad sheepish for a moment before she replaced it with a slight snarl, but before she could fire back an insult, Keitaro angrily spat out, "What did I just say? Stop acting like a couple of children! Motoko, I expected better from you!"

"Sorry, Keitaro," Kitsune and Motoko both said.

After a few minutes of silence, Tsuruko said, "I must admit that you are surprising, Urashima. This will make deciding upon a test a tad more difficult."

"How is stopping a fight between me and Motoko impressive?" Kitsune asked with a little confusion in her voice.

"Imouto always has been a tad head strong and defiant, especially when it comes to listening to anyone of the male gender. So for her to acquiesce to Urashima's words is unusual in my eyes," Tsuruko explained. Naru twitched, suppressing the urge to run.

"So if Keitaro were to fail your test...?" Kitsune asked. Naru would be lying if she didn't say hope began to enter her panicked thoughts.

"Then I would step in and end their relationship by taking Motoko back with me," Tsuruko answered. ' _For both their sakes.'_

"You can't!" Su and Sarah both yelled.

"I wish for their happiness, but am working for safety foremost," Tsuruko said. "Also, any interference will be punished."

"What? From what Motoko tells us, all you guys do is teach sword skills and exorcist evil spirits," Kitsune said. "What next? You gonna tell us that magic is real and that it's a secret kept from us for our own protection? That we have a magic princess under this roof?"

"That would be absurd, Konno-san, and something out of a badly-aged story. After all Technology is increasing by steps and bounds, so such a thing would be revealed in time," Tsuruko replied. "In fact, one could argue that the spirits, youkai, and the gods are having trouble competing with technology for the attention of humans."

"Ah, you mean like Yamabiko, the youkai that's the echo from a canyon. Sorta died when science proved that echoes exist" Su said. When everyone looked at her, she said, "What? Can't a girl research some of the things her friends might deal with?"

"Back to the matter at hand. Urashima, Imouto, if you decide to not take the test, then I will be lenient and will do my best to let the two of you see each other once in awhile," Tsuruko said. "But take the test and I will not permit Motoko to see you until she has finished our family's trials."

"Gee, great consolation prize," Kitsune sarcastically grumbled.

Naru would be lying if she said a part of her wished Keitaro or Motoko would take the offer and give up. She grew disgusted with that part of herself, as well as acknowledging that Keitaro had come a long way from the weak spineless loser that arrived at the inn.

"I think we both know that Motoko-chan and I will overcome anything, even you," Keitaro said, putting his hand over Motoko's

With a blush, Motoko answered, "Indeed, Urash- No, Keitaro. There is really is no more need to hide our relationship in any way."

' _I hope so, for I would not forgive myself for destroying this for you, Imouto,'_ Tsuruko thought.

"So consider this a congrats to the couple, for somehow not causing a big old panic when you told us all of the nitty gritty details," Kitsune said, holding up her glass. The others looked at each other for a moment before they all tapped their glasses of various drinks together. The fox noticed that Naru still looked like she bit into a sour fruit, but knowing how stubborn her friend could get, Kitsune decided to wait until tomorrow or if Naru came to her on her own volition.

Other than that, Kitsune saw that everyone was happy for the couple.

-o-

Naru looked at herself in the mirror and thought, ' _I lost him.'_

' _I lost him.'_

' _Or was it that I never had him?'_

She took ahold of a lock of her hair and stared at it.

' _Maybe it's better this way. Maybe I'm too immature for a relationship. I kept pushing him away and pulling him back, but never could even admit I L… L… Like him. '_

Naru furiously rubbed the sides of her head as she thought, ' _I can't even think more than that?! God, I need to get away!'_

As a few strands of hair rubbed her nose enough to make her sneeze, a thought came to Naru. She grabbed a pair of scissors after a little bit of searching. As she looked in a mirror, Naru judged how short she could make her hair and still look cute.

"Maybe I should ask Kitsune? The bob she had was both cute and hot," Naru muttered to herself. She nodded to herself and headed to her friend's room.

There, Naru found Kitsune laying about with a hand holding a bottle like always, but there was a few signs that Kitsune was bothered by the revelations given that day. One was that the bottle was unopened and Kitsune gave a nasgty glare towards Keitaro's room every few moments.

"Kitsune, is everything okay?" Naru asked as she entered Kitsune's room.

"Hn? Yeah, Just feeling like Keitaro kinda…. Well, can't say he played you. There wasn't much between the two of you, other than we believed there to be. I guess I'm just disappointed, is all,' Kitsune answered. With a evil smirk, she asked, "So what brings you to the fox den? Is it making a plan to have a steamy fourway with Keitaro, Motoko, and Tsuruko?"

"No!" Naru cried out in a little bit of anger. "I want you to help me cut my hair. I might as well start a new chapter in my life."

"I'm reluctant, but happy to help you, Naru," Kitsune replied. "But get away from the window. I'm not chasing you down or running off with you. Maybe the latter, if you got a good spot planned."

"What are you-Ah!" Naru muttered before she realized that somehow,she was trying to unconsciously escape through the window in Kitsune's room.

As Naru sat in the middle of Kitsune's room, the latter asked, "So… pixie cut or a bob? I still have the kit from when I had a job as a haircutter."

"...I think I should go with a shoulder length bob," Naru answered.

As Kitsune brought out a box that held scissors combs, brushes, and the like, she muttered in a tone that held sad reminiscence, "Welcome to the Broken hearts haircuts sisterhood, Naru."

Looking back at her friend, Naru asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You ain't the first lady to decide to cut her hair after a loss,and you ain't gonna be the last," Kitsune replied. She ran her hand through her hair as she said, "Why do you think I keep my hair short?"

-oOoOoOo

Notes from HotelKatz : This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of TheFanfictionForums . They are also the planner of this fic.

A huge round of thanks to chronodekar and everybody else at TheFanfictionForums for their suggestions.

At the moment, my favorite line is probably the one where Keitaro quickly defends himself when Motoko thinks he might be fantasizing about Tsuruko. Some of the people who beta-read this chapter also liked that line.

I think I got that from a scene in Onidere.

Edit on May 13, 2017 : I mixed up Ane-ue and Imouto somehow. Thanks to Wittmann the Tiger Ace and Yorae Rasante for pointing it out.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

Tsuruko was heading to a guest room that Keitaro had prepared for her when Motoko appeared.

"What kind of test will you have us go through?" Motoko asked.

"I still have to decide, but I will do my best to be fair," Tsuruko answered.

"I love Keitaro. I will do anything for him,"Motoko answered, trying to look strong.

On a whim, Tsuruko asked, "Including giving up your memories?"

Motoko blinked and took a step back as she asked, "W-What?"

"Perhaps I know a technique that will erase your memories of being an Aoyama and anything to do with the school. Would you give those up to stay with him? You would even get the rare chance to fall in love with him again, as those memories too would be erased," Tsuruko asked, taking a step forward.

"I-I need time to think about it. I-I probably would reject it, as it wouldn't be me with Keitaro," Motoko quickly said as she took another step back. Too bad for her, Tsuruko was keeping pace.

"As do I about your test. So please do not rush me, or the memory loss will be your only option," Tsuruko replied.

"So you do have such a terrible-" Motoko uttered, her eyes widening in fear.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Tsuruko answered. She stopped and headed into her room. "Good night."

Tsuruko held her room's door as she added, "So concentrate on your classes for tomorrow. We will talk more about the test that evening."

Tsuruko then closed the door. Motoko sighed before she headed to her room.

-o-

The Next day…

After breakfast, Keitaro was studying for his classes in the tea shop. At the moment, Tsuruko was sitting at a nearby table.

He recalled his talk with Motoko.

" _Keitaro, should my sister decide to spend time with you, try to find out whatever she might be planning for her test," Motoko said as she hugged him. "I tried and she…. Well, offered a horrible alternative to the test."_

" _I'll do my best, Motoko," Keitaro answered as he felt up her back. "But what did she offer you?"_

" _Nothing you should care about," Motoko replied._

Keitaro was doing his best to discreetly look at Tsuruko as he perused his books. At the moment, all she was doing was meditating and drinking tea.

Naturally, either he was bad at it or Tsuruko had the uncanny ability to know who was looking at her.

Probably both, considering his luck.

"Urashima-san, what are you doing?" Tsuruko asked with a grin. "While my choice in clothes may be outdated, I do not think they are an example of Ancient history."

Keitaro fumbling around in a panic was an amusing sight for Tsuruko, except when he tossed his book up in the air and it hit his head…

"Urashima-San, Are you alright?" Tsuruko asked as she walked over to Keitaro, who was cradling his head.

Other than a large bump on his head and his still-healing leg, Keitaro was unharmed. "Yeah… I'm sorry for worrying you."

Keitaro couldn't help but blush, as she stood over him in a concerned way.

"It's alright. You're worried for Motoko," Tsuruko replied. She sat across from him and said,"I am too, but not in the way you are. As an older sibling yourself, you should understand the worry that I do."

Remembering Kanako and making a note to find out what was going on with her, Keitaro nodded. "So… what do you want to know about Motoko?"

"You already told me much. When I learned you were the Hinata's landlord, I briefly wondered how you were able to survive. I mean, the last I saw Motoko, she seemed willing to kill any man if she felt like she could get away from it!" Tsuruko said, gesturing towards Keitaro. "I first thought you were a skilled warrior to both survive and win her heart.. But it was more like a combination of being able to survive anything, luck, and kindness."

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled, "Wow… I guess that means we might pass your test much easier than we thought!"

"Ah…. that… The both of you to cease trying to spy on me and discover what test," Tsuruko replied. Now she stood looming over him, scaring Keitaro a little. "Any test I might come up with will be finalized when we three are in Kyoto tomorrow, when you and Motoko tell our parents about your engagement. That way, I could have our parents help me plan about how the two of you can earn theirs and my approval."

Keitaro gulped as cold fear went down his spine.

"I do hope you also plan on telling your parents, Keitaro," Haruka said as she suddenly appeared and refilled Tsuruko's cup.

"Ah, should he pass my test, that will be when they have their formal engagement ceremony!" Tsuruko said as she walked back to her table.

' _That's right… I haven't talked to my parents in a long time… What would they think of Motoko? Would they accept her or not?'_ Keitaro thought.

Haruka noted that Keitaro was staring in Tsuruko's direction, but was deep in thought. Deciding to have some fun, Haruka asked with a grin, "Staring at your possible sister-in-law's behind, Keitaro? What would Motoko think?"

Keitaro began to panic once more. "No-no-no! I was just thinking about the last time I talked with mom and dad!"

"Ah, so you weren't thinking about seducing me to get an easy test?" Tsuruko asked as she sat down. "Perhaps I should-"

"No!" Keitaro cried out as he looked even more panicked.

Both Haruka and Tsuruko laughed.

"I can see why Motoko likes him," Tsuruko said before she drank some tea. "He's easy to wind up like that."

"Nah, that's why Kitsune likes him. Motoko likes him because he's nice and persistent, but she might like teasing him once they're together," Haruka replied. "So… Kyoto tomorrow. Keitaro, you gonna see your parents before meeting Motoko's?"

Keitaro blinked before he said in a bit of a nervous downer tone," No… Just in case we don't pass Tsuruko's test."

"You really shouldn't be so down on yourself, Keitaro. I mean, it's not like you're gonna die. All she might do is smack you into a coma and you waking up to a Motoko-less life," Haruka replied as she poured a cup of Tea for Keitaro. When he slumped in depression, Haruka stared at him for a few moments before she said, "...Yeah, probably shouldn't have said that."

"I agree," Tsuruko answered with a nod.

"Still better than Kanako's reaction," Haruka muttered. When Tsuruko looked at her, Haruka said, "His little sister. Has a big thing for him. Also into bondage. But enough of that."

Looking over at Keitaro, Tsuruko saw that he was still in a slump. He even had a depression cloud over his head. She asked, "So… what next?"

"Well…" Haruka asked as she rubbed her chin and looked away. "You gonna take it easy on him because of his injuries?"

Tsuruko shook her head. "From what I've heard, he's practically immortal. So no."

Haruka shrugged before she walked off.

"So…" Tsuruko said before she quickly finished off her tea. "Care to help me shop, Urashima-san? I still am new to this area and I do wish to to learn more about my possible brother-in-law."

After a few moments, Keitaro nodded.

-o-

Tsuruko mostly bought some knick knacks, various foodstuff, and a few items that had a hot springs motif. After they left a clothing store, "You know… You know more about my sister, but I know nearly nothing about your sister. Is there anything you could tell me about her?"

"Well… she took to the Urashima arts rather fast, according to Haruka…" Keitaro answered as he followed after Tsuruko. "And she had a fondness for ropes and tying things up."

"Like you?" Tsuruko asked. When a blushing Keitaro refused to look her in the eyes, she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my! I apologize, but it just seems funny!"

"Yeah… I guess…" Keitaro muttered as they reached an intersection. As they crossed, a truck suddenly sped up. When Keitaro noticed it, he screamed.

However, in mere moments, Tsuruko stood between him and the truck. In a single swipe, she cut the truck in half, saving Keitaro.

As Keitaro was catching his breath and calming down, he had mixed feelings of Tsuruko and how she saved him.

Tsuruko looked back at Keitaro with concern as she asked, "Are you alright, Urashima-san?"

"Y-yeah…" Keitaro muttered as he began to rush over to the other side of the crosswalk. Tsuruko followed after him.

Just as Keitaro got on the sidewalk, Tsuruko hugged him from behind. His mind ran wild.

 _I nearly died. Tsuruko saved me by cutting a truck in half. Motoko's never moved that fast. Tsuruko's hugging me, has big boobs, and isn't wearing a bra. She moved really fast to save me. Oh my god, if the test is a fight against her, we don't stand a chance!_

"Urashima-san, what are you thinking of?" Tsuruko asked. She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Is there something I can do to help you relax?

Keitaro shook himself free of Tsuruko's hug. He looked back and said, "I thank you for saving me, Tsuruko-san, but I won't betray Motoko, no matter what."

Tsuruko smiled as she replied, "That's good, Urashima-san, but how is going to a park and waiting until you're up to shop more betraying my sister?"

Keitaro blushed before he muttered, "Oh… I thought… never mind. Let's just go shop more."

-o-

Motoko walked into the Tea shop and noticed Keitaro holding his head in a panicked frazzle. She ran over and asked, "Keitaro! What's wrong?"

"No-nothing! I-I-I-" Keitaro uttered before he slumped over and said, "I wasn't able to learn much. Just that Tsuruko's not gonna make any final plans until we meet your parents."

Motoko hugged Keitaro in a way that had half of his face in her bosom. "That's still better than I was able to get. Anything else?"

"Not much," Keitaro muttered, once Motoko let him go. "So what now?"

"We eat and then speak with my sister after dinner," Motoko said, looking worried.

-o-

After dinner, the couple met up with Tsuruko in the woods behind the Inn.

Tsuruko was sitting on a large rock and looking at tea cup that looked like a turtle. She looked at Motoko with a gentle smile and asked, "Shall we talk about our day, Imouto?"

Motoko shook her head. "I am here to find out more about your test."

Tsuruko sighed. All of a sudden, her demeanor changed. No longer did she seem like the friendly aloof woman who wanted to spend time with her sister. Now she seemed more like a warrior before an opponent, looking for any weaknesses.

"Though I'll need to go over it with our parents, the test will be a simple one. After we get to the ShinMei-Ryu, your test will be to defeat me in three days," Tsuruko said as she stood up and put the tea cup on the rock.

Both Keitaro and Motoko stiffened in fear.

"But since you two have been training, there is another restriction," Tsuruko said, putting a hand on the handle of her sword. "Motoko is not allowed to use her sword during the test."

"Ane-ue, it's difficult for me to fight you with my blade! Taking it away makes it impossible!" Motoko cried out.

"So you give up?" Tsuruko asked.

"N-No! We will fight you and win!" Keitaro exclaimed.

Tsuruko then focused her attention towards Keitaro. It was different from when Motoko used to glare at him.

When Motoko used to glare at him, it was with a burning hate.

The way Tsuruko looked at him? Like he was a bug and she was determining if she should squish him.

To his credit, he shivered a lot, but didn't back down or look away.

"I do not know if Motoko should follow your example or give up, Urashima-san," Tsuruko said before she headed back to her room.

-o-

In the hallway, Keitaro still was shivering from fear. Once he calmed down, he asked, "So… Since Tsuruko didn't define how we could beat her, could we fight her in a baking match?

Motoko gave him the 'You're an idiot' look. After a few moments, she said, "She and I are swordswomen, from a school of learning how to fight with a sword, with a long history of swordfighting. At what point does that say 'fight me in a bakeoff!'?"

"Well… She never would expect-" Keitaro began before Motoko's glare worsened. He quickly asked, "So what's the plan then?"

"We prepare for tomorrow and hope for the best," Motoko said. "Need any help with packing up?"

Keitaro was about to refuse her, but said, "Alright. Why not? We might not have another chance."

Motoko kissed him in response.

"That condition about your sword really bugs me, though…" Keitaro muttered before he recalled something he was told about. " I do think we might have something that could give us an edge for whatever Tsuruko throws at us, if we need it."

"What is it?" Motoko asked. A thought came to her and she added in an icy tone, "If it is something perverted, like getting me preg-"

"No-no! It's a sword! C'mon with me to the stockroom!" Keitaro said before he headed to his room.

-o-

"Tsuruko said you couldn't use your sword, but nothing about using someone else's sword, right?" Keitaro asked as he was throwing stuff around the room.

"True… I think that might be the case..." Motoko watched Keitaro search around the stockroom for a few minutes before she said, "Keitaro, if you need-"

"Found it!" Keitaro cried out as he held a Katana aloft. His eyes grew glassy as he then said "Wow! This is a great sword! I feel so good! Feel really wood! Wow!"

Rushing over, Motoko yelled, "Wah! Keitaro! A shadow is appearing behind you! It wants to take over your body."

Keitaro wobbled for a moment before Motoko tackled him, knocking the katana out of his hands.

Keitaro grew confused. One moment, he picked up the sword. The next, he was on his back with Motoko's boobs in his face.

Motoko slowly crawled to the sword and stared at it. "It looked like something horrible is sealed in this sword… If we accidentally draw this sword… Only Ane-ue can defeat it! We must never touch this sword!"

When Keitaro didn't answer, Motoko looked down and said, "Keitaro, is every-"

It was then she realized that Keitaro was blushing like mad and was accidentally looking up her skirt, unable to move because Motoko's legs were pinning his arms down.

"Kyah! Pervert!" Motoko cried out as she jumped to the side.

"How am I a pervert?! You crawled over me!" Keitaro yelled as he stood up.

"Force of habit, but you really should have said something!" Motoko yelled back.

"And what of your-" Keitaro began before he remembered the reason why they were there. "Look, we need to have some kind of edge. Can we take the Hina Blade?"

"And risk the Blade running wild?" Motoko spat.

"Look, I saw how scared you were of your sister! I want to make sure she doesn't do that again!" Keitaro spat back. "But if you don't want us to take it, then we can figure something else out."

Motoko looked at the Hina blade. After a few moments, she said, "I'll think about it."

Looking around the room, Motoko asked," Just how many things are in here? How many are cursed or once used to seal evil spirits?"

Keitaro crossed his arms and thought about it before he shrugged and said, "Dunno. That's something you have to ask either Haruka or Granny Hina."

Motoko felt a little numb as the possibility that she and the others might be living in the same building as an unknown number of evil spirits.

"We need to seal up this room and put a warn-" Motoko began before she imagined a scene.

 _Kitsune and Su were walking be when they saw various signs stating for everyone to stay out of the storage room and to avoid grabbing anything. Pointing towards the door, Kitsune asked,"Hey, Su… Wanna see what fun toys are in there?!"_

" _Sure! Maybe there's bananas too!" Su exclaimed._

 _After having Su rip open the door, Kitsune and the molmol inventor entered._

 _Within moments, they left. Their eyes were glassy and their movements unsteady._

" _Kill… kill…. Drink booze…." Kitsune muttered, holding a doll._

" _Rampage…. Rampage…. Eat…" Su moaned, wearing a glowing pair of panties on her head._

Motoko shook her head to clear herself of such thoughts. "They wouldn't do that… would they?"

"Who would do what?" Keitaro asked.

"Never you mind," Motoko quickly answered. "But when we get back, we should do a catalogue of the various things here…"

-o-

 _The next day…_

"Keitaro! Let me carry your things!" Motoko said as she was trying to pull Keitaro's suitcase from him. "And let go of mine! You are on crutches!"

"Motoko! I am not that crippled and I need to impress your sister!" Keitaro cried as he pulled back.

"Silence!" Tsuruko yelled as she suddenly appeared behind Motoko and Keitaro, scaring them both. When they looked at her, Tsuruko put her hands on her hips and asked, "We haven't even left the hinata! Do you want me to test you here and now?"

"No…" Keitaro and Motoko muttered, looking ashamed.

"I do offer a solution. Do you wish to hear it?" Tsuruko asked. The couple looked each other for a moment and then gave Tsuruko a nod. Tsuruko clasped her hands together and cheerfully said, "Urashima-san carries everyone's suitcases and Imouto carries him on her back!"

Both Keitaro and Motoko grimaced.

"Or Motoko carries the suitcases," Tsuruko added.

Keitaro grumbled before he handed Motoko his suitcase.

The train trip to the Shinmei-Ryu was quiet. No one spoke much. Motoko and Keitaro instead chose to hold each other's hands and give each other looks of love and worry. The only thing that really bothered Tsuruko was that every so often, she felt an odd presence.

Tsuruko found it a bit cute.

When they arrived at the Shinmei-Ryu, Keitaro began to shiver.

Motoko stood by Keitaro and leaned against him. Keitaro looked at her and stopped shivering. "I'm ready. Are you?"

"No," Motoko said. "But let's go anyways."

-oOoOoOo

Notes from HotelKatz : This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of TheFanfictionForums . They are also the planner of this fic.

A huge round of thanks to everybody at TheFanfictionForums for their help.

The memory erase technique was from History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi.

Dunno if Tsuruko knows a version of it or not. Might be a good idea for another fic, though.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

-oOoOoOo-

 _Day 1…_

As Tsuruko led the couple to where Motoko's parents were, Keitaro looked around. The place was surrounded by a lot of trees, almost looking like it was being swallowed up by nature.

"I can see why you liked to train me near the woods," Keitaro said. "Looks nice and I like it."

Seeing a few blushing students look at Keitaro, Motoko hugged his arm and glared at the girls. She said, "Yes. Those spots reminded me of home, Keitaro."

"Fu fu fu. Not even a day home and you fear losing Keitaro to students about Ms. Maehara's age," Tsuruko uttered as they neared a building that held two people waiting inside.

-o-

""Well, they liked my gift of wine, a box of macaroons I made, and some tea leaves from Haruka," Keitaro said to Motoko as they walked away from the building they met Motoko's parents in.

"Yes, the Macaroons smelled delicious and I look forward to trying some," Tsuruko said as she followed after them. "So shall we start the trial now or wait until you've set up your room? I advise the latter."

"If you say so…" Keitaro replied, looking a bit unsure.

Motoko wanted to say something, but the last time Tsuruko gave a warning and she refused to heed it, Motoko had welts all over her body.

When Tsuruko led them to one of the larger guest rooms, Motoko asked, "This is a rather large room for Keitaro to be in for his time here. This is a room more befitting a couple."

"Precisely," Tsuruko said before she began to walk away.

"Ane-ue, You can't be serious!" Motoko cried out.

"Your old room is simply too small for the two of you, Imouto," Tsuruko replied before she turned a corner.

Motoko sputtered for a few moments before she walked to one side of the room and began to unpack. As she did so, Motoko said, "Keitaro, if you need help unpacking, please let me know."

"Anything I can do to calm you down?" Keitaro asked. Motoko shook her head.

"Aside from what I taught you, what skills do you have?" Motoko asked.

Keitaro looked up at the ceiling in thought for a few moments before he said, "Well, I doubt repairing will help. You refused my offer to have a cooking challenge. I know some stuff I was taught when I was younger… Like how to recover fast, take a hit…. I kind of remember how to fight from Haruka… Ah! I know how to tie someone up in a hurry!"

"How fast and who taught you?" Motoko warily asked.

"Been awhile, but last time was a couple of seconds. As for who…" Keitaro began before he blushed. "I'd rather not say, but they tied me up a lot as they learned from my mom."

Motoko thought for a few moments before she said, "I'll think about it, but we might be able to use those skills."

-o-

Keitaro and Motoko were slammed through a wall.

Tsuruko stared as the couple slowly stood up.

"Can't you take it easy on us? It's only the first day and I came in injured," Keitaro pleaded.

Tsuruko smirked as she said, "Oh, but I am! I'm allowing you to team up, I'm allowing you to be able to have more than one weapon, and I'm holding back!"

Keitaro groaned. Tsuruko felt a moment of pity for him, but it vanished the moment Motoko tried to attack.

Blocking the strike, Tsuruko stared at the struggling Motoko and coolly said, "It seems that you and your fiancee aren't working together as you thought, Imouto. Perhaps it's merely infatuation between you two."

Something in Motoko snapped upon hearing that, so she tried to kick Tsuruko. However, Tsuruko vanished, causing Motoko to stumble forwards. Reappearing behind Motoko, Tsuruko slapped Motoko's rear, causing the younger Aoyama to fall. Just as Motoko was about to hit the ground, Tsuruko plucked the bokken out of Motoko's hands.

"A point for effort, but you two really need to plan things out," Tsuruko said as she spun around and performed a weak ki slash, returning the bombs Keitaro tried to throw at her.

She then gently placed the bokken on the ground and walked off. "Lunch will be in an hour. I'll give you some space to talk things over and I do believe I said for Urashima-san to use Imouto's sword."

A soot-covered Keitaro watched as Motoko slowly sat up. She looked back with angered eyes and said, "We need to work together better! If only you weren't injured!"

"Hey! What do you want me to do? Parade around in a speedo and hope Tsuruko gets distracted enough for you to get a hit in?" Keitaro snapped back. When Motoko didn't answer and began to blush, Keitaro said, "Motoko? Motoko? I was talking about giving your sister a show, not you."

"Right, Right…" Motoko said as she shook herself out of her little fantasy. She then glared at Keitaro as she added, "And if you do try that, then I will punish you…"

Keitaro nodded with a frown.

"By having you wear it for a few days once we get back home," Motoko finished with a smirk.

"And what of Kitsune's reaction?" Keitaro asked with a similar smirk.

Motoko frowned. "Must you ruin my fun?"

Keitaro chuckled.

-oOo-

Night fell…

Motoko and Keitaro had finished getting ready for bed.

Keitaro attempted to stretch, but as he did so, both he and Motoko heard his bones loudly creak.

"Am I out of practice from spending time in the hospital?" Keitaro muttered as he began to move slower, every movement bringing new pain to him..

"No, I blame my sister being so terrifyingly skilled at fighting," Motoko said, holding herself back from rushing over and hugged Keitaro to death. "Lay down. I might be able to help with a massage."

Keitaro slowly laid down on his stomach and Motoko got to work. Briefly, his pain actually hurt worse before it quickly faded. Then Motoko's massaging began to turn him on more and more.

When he began to blush and pant, Motoko stopped and asked, "Keitaro, is everything alright?"

"Y-yes! It feels good! Really good!" Keitaro quickly said.

"Alas, she has to stop. I will not let you attempt to get an easy way out of my test with a child," Tsuruko said, watching the two from the doorway.

"Ane-ue!" Motoko exclaimed as she leapt away from Keitaro. Motoko noted that one of Tsuruko's hands was hiding out of view.

"Relax, I will not attack unless struck first, " Tsuruko replied with a smile. "So I do ask that you two keep it clean or else I'll pop up to put a damper on your fun."

"Like you are now?" Keitaro grumbled under his breath.

"Ah, keep that up and a punishment in in store!" Tsuruko said before she closed the door.

"It seems that we have no measure of privacy here," Motoko said as she laid next to Keitaro.

"Perhaps so…" Keitaro quietly said. After a few minutes of silence, Keitaro climbed over Motoko and began to kiss her. Though she was surprised. She began to return the favor.

The moment that Motoko's hands began to slide into Keitaro's boxers, a bucket of water being poured over them.

"I did say I would put a damper on your fun if you did not keep it clean," Tsuruko said with amusement. Both Keitaro and Motoko gave her the stinkeye.

-oOo-

 _The second day…_

Rather than simply attacking, Motoko used a bokken a weak Ki attack to strike the dirt to create a cloud

Tsuruko sighed, "So much for thinking that I wouldn't have to wash my clothes today."

She swung her sword to blow away the dirt fog… but was blocked by Keitaro using Shisui. To her surprise, Keitaro was starting to push her sword back.

"Well, if you're there… then Motoko must be…" Tsuruku muttered before she jabbed Keitaro in the stomach, watched him begin to fall to his knees, and spun around. "Behind me!"

"Almost, ane-ue!" Motoko said as she appeared near Tsuruko's left side. Before Motoko could hit Tsuruko's head, the elder sister sliced the bokken, making the upper half of the bokken hit Motoko on the head. Like with Keitaro, Tsuruko punched Motoko in the stomach.

"Owww... " Keitaro muttered.

"And now the punishment…" Tsuruko said. "Jakuzankūsen!"

Naru was walking by the Shinmei-ryu when Keitaro landed nearby before Motoko landed on his back.

"Ack!" Keitaro uttered.

"What happened to you two?" Naru exclaimed before she ran to help her friends.

After Naru's friends recovered enough to tell her what had happened, Keitaro said, "And then Tsuruko knocked us into the air and… well, we landed near you."

Naru had a sad slight-smile. "Wow… It kind of seems like you have a mountain to climb. I wish I could help, but… I'm having trouble coming to terms with getting used to the idea of you two getting together, so I'm probably bad help…"

"Tis alright. It is our trial and I do not wish to trouble you for help, when you're quite conflicted," Motoko replied.

"Even so… I do see that you're a great couple and I don't wish to see you fail," Naru added as she looked away. "If it helps any, I think it doesn't matter if you won the prize if you can't keep or hold it."

After Keitaro and Motoko thanked her, Naru waved them goodbye. From behind her, Tsuruko asked, "Miss Narusegawa, would you like a room?"

Naru looked back and said, "No. I have a room in a hotel and I need to get back to my study group."

"Very well. Don't be surprised if Urashima-san or my sister call you after all is said and done, either for victory or support," Tsuruko replied.

"So… you aren't going to warn me to not help them?" Naru asked.

Tsuruko smiled before she walked off.

-o-

 _That night…_

Motoko and Keitaro stumbled into their room. Bruises and welts covered their body.

"We need to come up with a better plan…" Motoko grumbled as she slowly sat down on her futon. "Ow… Ow… Ow… Tomorrow, Hot springs after the test."

"That's the best plan ever," Keitaro muttered as he merely fell onto his back.

Tsuruko leaned into the room and cheerfully asked, "Who wants hot pads and ice packs?"

"We do!" Motoko happily cried as she held out her hands. Keitaro quickly nodded.

Tsuruko held back a laugh as she brought in a couple of hot pads and Ice packs.

As she left the room, Tsuruko head Motoko and Keitaro moan with delight.

After Tsuruko stood outside the room for nearly an hour, she heard Motoko ask, "Keitaro… I have a request."

"What is it?" Keitaro nervously asked.

"Co-could we… cuddle? If we don't succeed in impressing my sister soon, then we might not…" Motoko uttered, sounding scared.

"Sure. I think we're allowed to cuddle," Keitaro said as he slowly got up and walked over to Motoko.

Tsuruko looked in and smiled at how cute the two looked as they fell asleep.

-oOo-

 _The third day_

"Shisui?" Motoko asked as she put a few bombs under her Hakama.

"Shisui, check," Keitaro answered and he made sure the sheath and sword were in place. "Bombs?"

"Bombs, check," Motoko answered. "Ropes?"

"Ropes, check," Keitaro said as he patted the ropes on his person.

"Let's save that as a last resort," Motoko said with a blush. She then asked,"You finished the modifications on your crutch?"

"Yep. the fan I made for you?" Keitaro asked as he held up the crutch.

"I don't see how they can be useful, but yes," Motoko answered.

"Hina blade?" Keitaro asked.

With great reluctance, Motoko picked up the blade and put it on her person.

-o-

Tsuruko sighed as she felt Keitaro and Motoko walk out into the open behind her. As she turned around, she said, "Imouto, Urashima-san, Are you certain you want to try this method?"

"You gave us no choice," Motoko said, her hand on the Hina blade.

"But we will defeat you!" Keitaro said, drawing Shisui.

' _Odd that Motoko isn't drawing that blade… why does it feel dangerous?'_ Tsuruko thought as Keitaro charged at her. As she easily blocked each swipe, she said, "Imouto taught you well, but…"

She was a little surprised when Keitaro swung his crutch at her, forcing her to step back. "It seems you're quite the handyman. While I can see the use for for such skills…"

A weak Ki slice knocked Keitaro away, tore apart his shirt, and made him land on his back. Before he could stand up, Tsuruko pointed her blade in his face. She added, "You lack the will to even try to injure me. All your attacks had the intent to go near me, but not to injure me. With what only my family faces, you are a liability."

Tsuruko then glared at Motoko and said, "And I don't know what's worse. That Urashima-san is more proactive enough to attack me than my sister is or that his presence made her too afraid to do anything!"

' _Dare I risk drawing this accursed blade?'_ Motoko thought as her hand tightened.

On a whim, Tsuruko asked, "Perhaps I should erase his memory of you, so that one of the others at the Inn can have him?"

Motoko drew the fan and swung it as she cried out, "Zantetsusen."

To both the Aoyama's surprise, Motoko was able to do the technique and even managed to cut Tsuruko's sleeves a little bit.

"Your skills have improved, Imouto," Tsuruko said, holding up her damaged sleeves., "However… Zankūsen!"

Motoko was knocked backward. Somehow, the Hina blade was knocked into the air.

Tsuruko looked up, muttering, "Why does that look familiar?"

Within a few moments, Tsuruko easily caught the falling sword.

"Ane-ue?" Motoko asked as she stood back up.

Tsuruko continued to look up at the Hina Blade.

"Ane-ue?" Motoko asked with worry in her voice.

Still no sign that Tsuruko knew that Motoko was coming closer.

"Ane-ue?" Motoko asked again, concern and worry entering her voice. All of a sudden, Tsuruko quickly looked down, scaring Motoko into uttering "Aaa!"

Tsuruko had a gentle smile on her face. However, her upper face was completely covered in shadow. The spots where her eyes were glowed with an unholy light.

"Don't forget about me, Tsuruko!" Keitaro yelled as he charged at Tsuruko and readied himself to use Shisui to slice at Tsuruko's back.

Tsuruko easily blocked the strike that had been aimed at her back before she spun around, knocking Shisui out of Keitaro's hand. Then, Tsuruko dropped her own sword, grabbed Keitaro by the neck, and…

Kissed him.

Keitaro felt his strength began to drain from him as he tried to break free from Tsuruko. An enraged Motoko ran towards the two, grabbing Tsuruko's sword on the way. It didn't last long before Tsuruko leapt into the air, replaced by Motoko cutting the air where Tsuruko once stood.

"Motoko, I-" Keitaro began as Tsuruko landed nearby.

"Shut it and stick with the plan!" Motoko yelled as she charged at Tsuruko. As she and the possessed Tsuruko attacked and blocked each other's blades, Motoko uttered, "Ane-ue, I can only hope you can forgive me for using your new sword on you!"

Keitaro blinked a few times before he realized what Motoko wanted him to do. He waited for an opening.

' _She's fast! Faster than I remember! Just how much has Ane-ue been holding back this whole time?'_ Motoko thought. When her back hit the wall and Tsuruko knocked the sword out of Motoko's hands, she thought, ' _Keitaro, hurry!'_

The possessed Tsuruko raised her blade, intending on taking her time with the final blow.

Keitaro threw a few bombs. Tsuruko used her sword to send them back, but the moment her Ki attack hit the bombs, they exploded and created a big enough cloud that Motoko used to escape.

When the smoke cleared, the possessed Tsuruko looked around for her targets. Keitaro stood nearby. Tsuruko raised the Hina blade and attacked. Keitaro blocked the strike, but was having a lot of trouble. As the Hina Blade neared his face…

Motoko leapt from behind the wall and uttered, "Zanmaken!"

Tsuruko used a hand to shove Keitaro away and then tried to run away. However, Keitaro used his crutch to trip her.

The possessed Tsuruko instinctively raised the Hina Blade to block the attack. She grimaced as the sword took the attack. In one moment, Tsuruko leapt to attack Motoko.

The next moment, Tsuruko was now tied up in a kind of erotic way. The Hina Blade fell to the ground.

Motoko followed up with "Shinmei-Ryu Secret Arts : Zanmakeninotachi!"

After Motoko's attack hit it, the Hina blade sparked for a few moments.

"Brimstone Turtle Binding!" Keitaro cheerfully said, holding onto the rope.

Motoko did the sensible thing and gave Keitaro a karate chop to his head.

"Ow!" Keitaro uttered as he covered his head. "What did I do?"

"My sister kisses you while she's possessed and you decide to get her back by tying her up in an erotic manner?" Motoko asked with some anger in her voice. "I meant for you to tie her up in a non-perverted way! And just how will she seal up the Hina blade?"

"Not bad! Though I was careless and wound up being possessed by the Hina Blade, you seem to have sealed it! It looked like not only have you been training hard, but the two of you seem to have the beginnings of a good team!" Tsuruko said. She then asked, "Urashima-San, if it isn't a bother, could you untie me?"

"He won't, but I will," Motoko said, glaring at Keitaro. Before she could, a man appeared next to Tsuruko.

They had spiky hair, a headband, wore a black jacket over a white shirt, and a pair of jeans. Tsuruko looked at the man and said, "Beloved!"

As Tsuruko's husband picked her up and put her over his shoulder before he began to head to their bedroom.

"Thank you, Urashima-san!" A heavily blushing Tsuruko called out as her husband patted her on her behind. "Once my husband unties me, I'll double-check the Hina Blade as fast as possible!"

As Tsuruko's husband walked off with his wife towards their room, Motoko walked over to a nearby tree. Once her older sister was no longer in sight, Keitaro said, "Well, I'm sure he has only pure intentions in mind. Right?"

"I'm going guard the Hina blade until my sister comes back," Motoko replied. Before Keitaro could say anything. Motoko hugged him and gave him a small barrage of kisses. Satisfied that Keitaro was too stupefied to for anything, Motoko sat nearby and watched the Hina Blade.

-o-

 _The next day…_

Keitaro stood next to Motoko. They bowed to Tsuruko.

"I do have one question," Keitaro said as they stood up.

"What is it?" Tsuruko asked, curious at what it might be.

"What if instead of accepting the challenge to defeat you, we offered to have a cooking challenge?" Keitaro asked.

"Like she would accept…" Motoko grumbled, looking away. Keitaro gave her a stern look.

"Actually, I would," Tsuruko gently said, getting their attention. "It still would've allowed me to see how the two of you work together and you would have a much easier time winning!"

Motoko just stared at Tsuruko, who added, "I would have put my all into it, Imouto."

"Thank you for accommodating us and giving us your blessing, Tsuruko," Keitaro quickly said.

"You're welcome, Keitaro. I look forward to the formal engagement ceremony," Tsuruko replied. "From what I've seen of the other tenants at the Hinata, it promises to be very interesting."

They all chuckled, though Motoko and Keitaro had anime sweatdrops behind their heads.

After they all bowed to each other one more time, Keitaro and Motoko headed to the train station, wondering if they would meet with Naru.

Tsuruko watched them walk away until they were no longer in sight. She then headed back in the Shinmei-ryu grounds. It didn't take long for her to find her parents.

Her father looked and acted calm, cool, and collected. Her mother looked a lot like her daughters, but seemed to have a personality flair ot Kitsune.

Aoyama-Papa asked "Well, Tsuruko. Were they able to leave without any problems? No accidents on Urashima's part, like him tripping sand trying to grab something to stop his fall, only to rip off Motoko's and yours tops?

"Husband! Keitaro-kun is not a raging pervert! He's just clumsy!" Aoyama-mama quickly said, looking annoyed.

"I never said he was a raging pervert, just trying to insinuate his clumsiness is perverse. I worry that he might wind up on the page of a tabloid, with it claiming that he is a pervert because he walked in on a musical group as they were changing, " Aoyama-papa replied before drinking some tea. "Thought it might be worth it to let the marriage occur, just to have more of this tea."

"Don't forget that it appears that Keitaro-kun's teacher will be Seta. There's also the fact we'd be connected to Hinata Urashima," Aoyama-Mama said back before nibbling on a macaroon.

"Yes, yes. We'd have our own Indiana jones who'd cook for us whenever we ask. All we'd have to do is ignore how he'd fall and trip into any pretty face," Aoyama-papa grumbled.

"Including mine?" Aoyama-mama asked in a flirting way.

"You're too skilled for it to happen, save for when you allow it," Aoyama-papa retorted. His wife hit him with a fan. With a wry grin, he asked, "And since I was mistaken for a woman a few times in the past, do you think that he'd trip into me?"

Both Aoyama-Mama and Tsuruko hit him with fans.

"Now that the humor is out of the way, does Urashima have any skills or abilities that would be considered useful to our way of life?" Aoyama-Papa asked, ignoring the bumps on his head.

"Well, ignoring the injured leg, he seems to have the ability to quickly recover from any injury, as well as being able to learn how to use a technique after it's been used against him a number of times. I suspect if he was trying to learn how to use it, then he might learn how to imitate any of our sacred techniques after merely seeing it," Tsuruko answered.

Both Aoyama-parents nodded.

"Well, I'm glad that such a kind man has such to offer our family!" Aoyama-mama said. "And such a fine cook as well!"

-oOoOoOo

Notes from HotelKatz : This fanfic was an idea started by Antimatter of TheFanfictionForums . They are also the planner of this fic.

A huge round of thanks to everybody at TheFanfictionForums for their help.

Wasn't able to think of good names for Aoyama parents, so they're stuck with placeholder names.


End file.
